There are several reasons for which a person can cry. Pain, happiness and sorrow are the most common ones. However, except in the case of sorrow, it is seen as a sign of weakness, and the act of crying has often been associated with weak people that sometimes are made fun off.

Such is the society in which we live. Crying is an act of the cowards, of those unable to withstand what comes against them. We're educated into a "be strong and don't cry" kind of life, and as such, we ourselves refrain from crying when our body starts to produce such shameful reaction.

I myself have witnessed how some people truly live according to that horrible motto. Since the moment you become a teen, crying is unacceptable. Sorrow is the only emotion that should bring tears to your eyes, anything else that can moist your eyes makes you look as a weakling.

I never embraced this way of life. I wasn't the type to cry either, not to show weakness but rather to not let my emotions get the best of me, be them good or bad emotions. I thought being strong meant you can remain in control despite facing strong anger or even desperation.

But I was wrong. And society is also wrong.

In October, I met new classmates as I started a new course. A few days after, one of those classmates became a friend. Just as the month ended, we made it all the way to become lovers. And as she opened up the bubble I secluded myself in for so many years, my emotions were also set free.

I can say with my head up that I've cried in her arms. I've seen nothing shameful in doing so, and even less I regret doing it. I don't fully know why I cried, but I did. I've done it more than once and twice, and surely I haven't had the last one yet.

Over time, I've thought on what would have happened if it was another person and not her who was at my side. The answer was that no other person I've known would have allowed me to cry, they'd have told me to endure it and face it head on. But she actually encouraged me to cry, for she taught me how liberating can shedding tears be.

Those who refuse to cry are the weaklings. Those who lie to themselves and refrain from revealing and even accepting their inner emotions aren't worthy of being called valiant.

A lot of courage is needed to cry. We shouldn't be afraid of doing it. And the obtuse people who can't understand this are better off away from our lifes.

Basically agree with all of this.

I typically tend to bottle up any emotions, not intentionally but I guess it's my mind's way of protecting me from immediate distress. Stems from bad past experiences opening up as a kid so I have been doing this for years and this September it just all finally became too much. Overheard something I wasn't supposed to hear and just went to my room and couldn't stop myself for the first time in like over 5 years.

15 minutes later it kind of stopped and I just felt a massive wave of relief pass by, almost like that (sorry nasty comparison) feeling you get after taking a dump where you just feel so much lighter.

It definitely was an eye opening experience and I've vowed to be more free with my emotions and what I'm dealing with. I always say that the thing I hate the most is people being fake, and that I put great value in just being real. Figured that meant being real with emotions as well. That doesn't mean I'll tell anyone anything but I figured if something does happen that has me feeling all kinds of ways I'd at least make an attempt to reach out to one or two people.

That sadly and unexpectedly came into play like 2 months later. Reached out to someone online who I already knew pretty well by then and felt comfortable talking to. I was a little worried due to past experiences but they were nothing but supportive and caring and in their own way genuinely cheered me up at times. I already kind of knew before but that's when I really realized that that bond was genuine, real, and way more than just an online gaming friend. Someone I'd travel the world to meet, love her to bits.

So yeah I really encourage everyone to express and share emotions. Find someone who you can talk to, you don't have to give every detail but just knowing that someone else knows what you're going through is already so comforting. If you can't bring yourself to telling someone yet, write it down somewhere. That's also a way of expressing yourself.

We're all humans at the end of the day and we are designed to feel emotions, so don't be ashamed of that.

While I generally don't cry, not really cause I stop it, but because my body never really wishes to express sorrow or anything that would cause you to cry in that way. The way my mind and body does it, is that it drains me, makes me feel a horrible phantom pain in my chest. This happens usually when I resonate with someone emotionally, which I tend to do quite easily. Crying is very relieving for the people who experience it, but I just do the same in my own...sort of worse? Way.

This is a topic I have a lot of mixed feelings about. For me, I rarely ever cry, but when I do, I feel like there is good reason for it. I look back at some of the things I cried about, and I thought I was pretty pathetic for doing so. But, it all depends on why someone is crying. If someone died in their family, and they were real close to that person, I could see that being a good reason for being emotional. That should not be discouraged with people. I feel like men aren't allowed to cry, and that isn't fair. Imagine someone losing their job, and it was a job they really needed to pay the bills. Why is a man expected to never be emotional and lean on a woman for comfort?

I hate this type of mentality, and that has destroyed our society. I really don't see things changing that much. I don't think that it is weak for men or women to show emotion or lean on each other for support during times of crises. That's why there is no such thing as marriage anymore. It's crazy! There's lots of good people out there that are alone, and feel like they cannot turn to anyone. If they do, that's considered weak. Yeah, sometimes it is, but when the situation is so extreme, what's the issue with men or women being emotional? People should be there for each other as a society, and this stupid idea of holding it all in needs to stop!

I don't usually tend to cry very often unless I get very emotional, the last time I've cried would be when we had to put my cat down since she was getting rather old and she was starting to have health issues as a result. The surgery that she would've had to have undergone would've only had a small chance of her surviving it and it was also very expensive, she would've also had to have been on medication for the rest of her life even if she did survive. I only burst into tears when I held her since it was the first time I've held her since she was a kitten, she was a lot lighter than I thought she would be. I love her very much and I'm just happy she isn't in pain anymore. I've never cried tears of joy before though so I'm not even really sure what that would feel like.

This is a thread that strikes a personal note with me so I'ma go on and explain how I feel on all of it as well, I use to be told crying was weak and to um let's just say grow up by my step dad for years he would scream at me if I cried and it would scare me and make me afraid he would hurt me so I would end up crying more. So for years and even now anytime someone yells at me I have a hard time not crying due to ptsd. Since I've gotten away from him I've had quite the time dealing with emotions at one point I lost the ability to cry and could show emotion at all. I've gotten back to being able to cry again ever since I started dating the most amazing girlfriend I could ever ask for I've regained my emotions being able to cry and being supported and encouraged to do so has been really important for me to be allowed I guess in my mind to do it's helped me be able to get through a lot of things in the past few years.

So I guess I got pretty off topic I just wanted to say any human should be allowed to cry it's not weak holding and bottling emotions to be tough is stupid tho I can understand the people who do it non intentionally cause I've been there myself. People everywhere of all ages and genders should be allowed to cry without being made fun of or being called weak it's a natural human function and people need to learn to respect that.

Furret : I've gone through a similar experience in life, though circumstances were a lot different for me. I also bottled up emotions, to the point I even considered myself incapable of loving someone outside of the family, but I was proven wrong.

Sharing emotions is also necessary to learn about yourself. Having a way to express them, either by talking to someone or writing/typing it down somewhere, is crucial to properly develop them. I learnt this the hard way: by being secluded for like two decades.

Boured : It's interesting to see that you acknowledge your emotions yet your reactions can be so different. If it's still relieving, then it's a perfectly valid way of dealing with it.

luigi25 : I absolutely agree, we've turned society into a place where certain emotions are only associated to specific genres. I see no problem in people crying, be it men or women, genre means nothing about feeling and expressing strong emotions.

You are weak if you're always leaning on someone. You must be strong enough to face certain things alone, and be ready should you be alone at some point. Not only is it beneficial for you, other people will also think of you as reliable and thus will be drawn towards you.

Modern society has some inexplicable inconsistencies. Let's take your example, a person losing their job and only source of much needed income. Society sees it as "normal" that said person ends up in a bar, drinking their problems away. However, it's not "normal" if said person wants to let out their emotions and cry. And both scenarios are valid either alone or with friends.

It's like emotions are a burden, something that is weighing us down, when in reality emotions can be an immense source of energy and motivation. This is just how twisted our society is.

LuckyCharms : Tears of joy are extremely liberating. I'm more of a "scream it out" type rather than crying for joy because I tend to get very pumped up, but I know I'm also someone that could cry of joy under the right circumstances.

SonicOlmstead : Indeed, people should be allowed to cry without others judging them, even less mistreating or openly insulting them. Such an obtuse mindset betrays what the fiction always states about humans: they're able to feel and express emotions.

I'm glad that, just like me, you found someone who allowed you to open up and cry. We're not aware of how much we need it until we actually do it. Just like with any other emotion out there, because none is expendable.

In my view, it may unfortunately be more socially acceptable (for men) to be angry than to cry. It might be seen as "tough" to lose emotional control, curse, and yell at someone. Oh, he just gets intense. But shedding a tear is socially embarrassing and unacceptable, unless you're at a funeral or something. I can imagine women may face some stigma for crying as well, because it might feel like falling victim to a "stereotypical emotional woman" kind of thing. I don't believe anyone should be shamed or thrown into a stereotype bucket for that kind of stuff. I am not sure if this is entirely true for every culture and country, but that's how I see it living in the US, which sucks.

Also to LuckyCharms: I know how it feels to lose a pet. Isn't it something how these little animals can enter your heart? It never feels like they're around long enough. Most animals don't have a long life span... It's tough. but if anything, I am glad that we can give these animals a good life, keep them fed, warm and happy whenever we can.

On a similar note, it's also pretty hard to find people in life where you can be truly open and honest about your feelings. Telling people about your hopes, dreams, goals, fears for the future? Scary. I can't say I am a very open person myself, but hey, we're all a work in progress. Just some thoughts while studying and checking on Vizzed.

I agree with the OP 100%. Genuine crying is a sign that you are capable of even feeling any virtuous emotions. Guilt and loss are just a few of the big reasons one would want to cry.

If one was to cry after realizing they made a terrible decision at the expense of another person, it means they're feeling remorseful for their misdeeds and that they're capable of and willing to commit to changing their ways. Crying is also a very normal part of coping with the loss of a loved one, a dear friend, a significant other, and anyone else who was important to that person in their life. In my opinion, crying is even actually healthier than holding it in and having it turn into anger and hostility. Bottling up your emotions never ends well, as I'm sure everyone here knows.

The sad part is that societal norms have twisted the meaning of crying into something negative. Nowadays, it means that anyone who cries is weak, and real men don't cry. I'm definitely one to argue that it goes the other way around. Remember what I said earlier about guilt and loss? The most mature way to get a grip on yourself would be to lean towards someone you can trust for mental and emotional support, and don't be afraid to emotionally break down in the process, either! Like I said before, being able to cry is a blessing, and is truly what makes someone truly human.

I'd like to close this reply offering some advice to anyone going through very emotionally and mentally trying times, ignore anyone who says that crying is for the weak, and turn to the people in your life who actually care about your well-being for help, and go ahead and shed as many tears as you need to in the process! You'll find yourself feeling better as the days pass!

This thread means a lot to me. I have had days when I've felt like crying and it wasn't from sorrow but just being overwhelmed. It took me a long time to realize that crying is a regular emotional response that I have the right to have. And I appreciate moments when my friends and I have been overcome with emotion because of tough circumstances. We have been real with each other which has built up our friendships more.

I have realized that when I let myself cry, it can be a huge relief. I feel calmer and more ready for what's next. And when others I know are crying, it is hard to hear but it's also a sign that they feel comfortable around me and aren't afraid of what I think about them. I know it has taken a ton of bravery for me to cry in front of others. One time it was a cry of joy, but the other times it was a cry of pain, frustration, being overwhelmed, etc.

In my opinion, the worst part of the stigmas surrounding crying are the ones attached to men specifically. As was already addressed, crying can be viewed as a sign of weakness. It drives me crazy that men like me are so often very uncomfortable showing how they really feel. I think we have more mental health struggles/emotional issues sometimes because we feel like both mental health and emotions are problematic to even mention. I want one of my missions in life to be to help address the stigmas surrounding mental health/crying that men often deal with. Hopefully, things can change at least in my area. When someone deals with something awful like loss of a loved one, or a terminal illness, I want that person to feel OK being real about how they are doing and how they are feeling.

Crying is okay if you are really a man.

I didn't read the rest of your post because of title.