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Journalism of Courage
Angelina Joli has spent trying times in the public eye owing to a messy divorce with ex-husband Brad Pitt and the ensuing custody battle over her six children.
In a recent interview with The Wall Street Journal, Jolie shared her perspective on dealing with life’s challenges. “Go right through it. Feel it, be in it, don’t avoid it. Go completely in it. Feel everything and then go right through it and get out the other end. Many of these things you don’t have a choice and you know it. What’s that expression? It’s how well you walk through the fire—but you walk through it,” she said.
To understand why Jolie’s advice holds particular relevance for Gen Z, indianexpress.com spoke to a mental health expert.
Reet Patel, psychologist at Mpower, Aditya Birla Education Trust, pointed out that Gen Z faces unprecedented mental health challenges. “Studies indicate that nearly two-thirds of young people have experienced at least one mental health issue in recent years. Factors such as social media pressure, academic stress, and global uncertainties have contributed to rising levels of anxiety and depression,” she said. In this context, Jolie’s emphasis on confronting and processing emotions directly offers a valuable approach to managing psychological distress.
“Avoidant behaviours may provide temporary relief, but they often worsen mental health struggles over time. When individuals suppress difficult emotions, they reinforce anxiety and hinder emotional processing. Jolie’s advice to ‘feel it’ aligns with therapeutic approaches that encourage confronting distressing emotions in a controlled way, reducing avoidance and improving emotional regulation,” Patel said.
Beyond emotional regulation, facing adversity head-on helps develop adaptive coping mechanisms, according to her. “By fully engaging with challenging experiences, people learn to navigate adversity, building resilience that is crucial for long-term mental health. This process fosters a sense of accomplishment and self-efficacy, empowering individuals to handle future stressors more effectively,” she said.
Patel also said that Jolie’s advice underscores the importance of authenticity. “In an era where curated online personas are the norm, there is immense value in embracing genuine emotional experiences. By ‘being in it,’ individuals are encouraged to acknowledge their true feelings, facilitating deeper self-understanding and acceptance. This authenticity is essential for meaningful interpersonal connections and overall psychological well-being,” she said.
