Angelina Jolie values ‘diversity’

Angelina Jolie values “difference and diversity”.

The 44-year-old actress has slammed labels such as “perfect mother” and “perfect wife”, because she doesn’t like the idea of putting people into “boxes”.

When asked if she thinks the idea of perfection is damaging to women, Angelina – who has Maddox, 18, Pax, 15, Zahara, 14, Shilo, 13, and 11-year-old twins Knox and Vivienne with her ex-husband Brad Pitt – said: “Labelling people and putting them into boxes isn’t freedom. Difference and diversity are what I value most – in my family and in others. I don’t want to live in a world where everyone is the same, and I imagine that’s true for everyone reading this.

“I want to meet people I’ve never met before and learn things I don’t know. The challenge today is to embrace our differences. And not to be fooled by efforts to divide us or make us fear others. We’re seeing a retreat of values worldwide. Many governments are less willing to stand up for the kinds of values that previous generations fought and died to secure. When governments stand back, people have to lead the way, as they are in different parts of the world.”

The ‘Maleficent: Mistress of Evil’ star would love for women to live a “fully lived” life, but bemoaned the difficulties faced by many women across the world.

Angelina recognises that she has a “freedom” that many other women don’t, but wants to encourage others to be “themselves” no matter what.

Speaking to Harper’s Bazaar magazine, she said: “A life fully lived is very hard to do. And for many women it is impossible because of what they are up against. I am conscious every day that I have the freedom to speak openly and to make my own choices. And the ability to encourage my children to explore the world, including the world of ideas and expression, without there being limits to what they are allowed to study or know or imagine themselves doing in the future. I think we all know boldness when we see it. Nothing makes me smile more than when I see someone being fully themselves, with their own individual style and character, whatever that is.”