Are you afraid to cry?

[Rainblow H. Ash 5,090]

It takes a lot to make me cry. I have to really feel a well of emotions to shed some tears.

 

When I was a kid, not so much. I'd cry at least once every few months. But as I got older... I just didn't cry all that often.

 

One thing that I want to say on this is that there is a little myth around the whole "crying doesn't make you a man" thing. I grew up around nothing but men and women who thought that dudes crying was weird, but in the end some of those same people I've seen cry.

 

But only when the time is right.

 

The reason people say not to cry because to me crying is a powerful thing to do. It shows that you are filled with such a strong emotion, whether it's tears of joy, sadness, or a combination of both, that to me to cry all of the time would be to waste something like that. Tears are something I think should be shed when the moment is right. For some people maybe that's more often than others, but I only cry when I have something worth crying over.

 

Some of the most "manly" moments I've had in my life happened while "manly" dudes were crying.

 

That's about all I wanna say on this.

[Treble Bolt 1,122]

I am personally scared to cry. Crying is not a bad thing in the least. It's natural for guys and gals. Being a woman myself, it seems more socially "okay" and may even be expected to cry...but to me, although it should not be a sign of toughness, I want to come off as a strong woman. Part of it is because I very much despise feminine stereotypes, but the other part is my past. 

 

I have PTSD, and have gone through multiple bouts of severe trauma in my childhood and once in college. When I have flashbacks of my past, I try very hard to distract my mind, so I can continue going about my day. Music is a big thing to distract me, so is reading and metalworking....but sometimes I can't distract myself. When that happens, if I begin to cry, I break down completely. Sometimes I have cried for hours on end, and it often takes 3-4 days to get back to my 'normal' mental equilibrium. I end up physically weak, emotionally drained, and mentally broken after I break down. I try my hardest not to cry, more for my own sanity than to appear tough, but I still want to be strong when in front of others. It's my own weaknesses and the very fact that I am female that has allowed me to be caused such harm. I wish crying would actually relieve emotions...

[Handsome Changeling 1,851]

To be honest yeah, crying is a very strong feeling of sadness (or happiness) and I have not cried in years as I have not felt an a painfully large amount of sadness, nothing bad has happened and I am a teen so I have to keep my masculinity which sounds dumb but think about it, when you were in High School it is highly likely you didn't cry.

I sound like such a douche but it is my opinion and I am waaaaay to happy at the moment to cry so yeah I am afraid to cry as I feel it would ruin my happy mood for a long time.

Edited September 22, 2014 by Void Crawler

[Wind Chaser 4,767]

I try hard not to cry. I'm an emotional person but a logical thinker and I try to repress my emotions as much as possible because of societal expectations. I avoid expressing myself in most kinds of social situations.

 

However, I have cried recently as a result of crushing depression regarding my position in life. I don't have any motivations to participate in any activity, find friends, or to choose a career track, and I don't see opportunity anywhere.

 

I always see my own emotions as a hindrance that should be repressed.

[NeedsMoreGoth 162]

I'm not afraid to cry. In fact, I like to cry. Tears are not only protective but they are a way to show that I'm happy or sad. When I am sad, I cry for a while to get it out of my system and then try to fix whatever reason I'm sad for. Also, crying should be a way to notify the people around you that you need a bit of attention and that shows how perfect nature is.

[ShadowPirateX 600]

Not when I play Metal Gear games.

Edited September 22, 2014 by ShadowPirateX

[Darker 1,351]

Of course not. You don't have to hide your feelings. If you have to cry because you're sad, just cry. It's the only way of letting it go. 

[Koukatsu 5,898]

I cry at what I consider a beautiful end to something, often fiction, like a TV show or a movie.

The only other time is, generally speaking, when I'm angry.

 

I cried a LOT throughout the anime Clannad and Clannad After Story... Dem feels. :c

[Radiance64 7,051]

Nah. I don't really like to cry though, not like I select when I want to, it just comes out in place of anger or after some sort of emotional euphoria sometimes. The second one is usually a good thing.

[Lightning Bliss 1,674]

I know that its good to cry, to let out what is troubling you once in awhile.

 

Sometimes I feel like things can get so bad...that if I don't just...cry because I can't find the time to talk about it, then crying is the only other solution. It's like a pressure valve being released on my system, allowing me to release all that pressure that has been built up within me from stress.

 

But then there are times I feel like crying is just not the answer, or its never the right time or place. There are people who depend on me, who see me as responsible and rely on my strength, and judgement as well as...well i guess moral and stability...If they see me 'cry' sometimes they see that as a sign that I've lost it or I'm no longer reliable.

 

This is far from the case though...I realize now thats how I think some people might see me, but they don't, they just don't see me cry often and that troubles them is all. So no I don't think its bad to cry, its a pressure valve everypony...seomtimes you gotta let it go.

[Movealge 104]

I'm not afraid to cry but I just don't like the attention that I would get if I cry in front of others. Like everyone would be asking if I'm okay and what's wrong and stuff like that which would make me feel uncomfortable. But sometimes, a person can't help but just burst out into tears. It's a normal part of human emotion. Everyone does it. However, crying over every little thing is obnoxious in my opinion.

[Shadowking58 1,136]

I actually did almost cry over something today. Definitely teared up a lot over it though.

It was this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pz6H9twohoM

Edited September 23, 2014 by Shadowking58

[Kyoshi Frost Wolf 40,223]

I cry quite often actually. I consider myself to be quite sensitive with a lot of things, on top of that there is depression as well as anxiety. Crying obviously isn't a bad thing because it is a natural way of releasing stress. From what I read that is what it is proven to do, it can really help relieve stress. Not sure why that would ever be a bad thing no matter how much you do it. I am not ashamed of crying a lot. If I am feeling down and that might make me feel a bit better, then there is no problem to me. I actually cried early this morning due to a situation that really made me feel sorrow and it did make me feel more at ease.

[Hashi 323]

I'm 100% introverted irl. I find it hard to express anything on my face (I'm normally just blank) let alone cry, I have other outlets for emotion, such as my writing and/or creation of various things.

 

But crying is good for you, it lets emotions out, and if you cry with somebody comforting you/holding you, its even better. 

It literally is good for your mental health, its a natural outlet of emotions, otherwise stress happens.

[ARagY 1,152]

When I was younger I got beaten by older and stronger people at my school for crying. I'm kind of afraid because I don't feel it will help anything. When there's a lot of stress on me usually I end up crying despite what I want and I feel even worse. But now I'm mostly drained of tears, and even in very stressful moments, most of the time, I don't feel like I will end up crying. 

[iceestarz 5,752]

Eh, kinda on the fence with this one.

 

I mean I'm not afraid to cry. I just really hate crying in front of people. And any time I talk about my feelings, like actual deep emotional feelings, I start to cry. I'm just a really emotional person.

 

If it's my family it's one thing I suppose. I still try to hide my face from them when I cry cause I try to act all tough even though I'm some squishy pancake that cracks under emotions.

 

Crying in school or something...no. NoNoNoNoNo. I literally failed physics last year, long story, but my teacher bumped up my grade to passing so I wouldn't have to repeat the whole year. It was my last test of the day, and I had to wait for the bus. Which took 20 minutes after school to arrive, anywho yeah I literally sat there super sad trying not to cry. I was so distraught I missed my bus stop and had to walk home. That was the final straw, right after I walked off the bus I started crying. It sucked.

[Zygen 6,065]

Oh boy... Let's just say, becoming a man has been difficult over the years. Mostly because, growing up, I didn't have a father to show me the way.

 

To answer the question, yes, I do cry. But only when I feel like the situation calls for it. I try not to wear my emotions on my sleeve these days...

 

When I was a little boy in elementary school, I remember a time when I was crying. Something unfair had set me off. But everyone was walking away and ignoring me completely, including teachers. In that moment, I forced myself to stop crying. I told myself "Men don't cry. It's time to grow up and stop being a baby." I was probably in the 1st or 2nd grade at the time. When you're a kid and a boy, crying doesn't earn you sympathizers or friends. At most, other kids will just laugh at you and make fun of you for being a crybaby.

 

And for many years in my life, I didn't cry at all, even when I felt terrible inside. I bottled up most of my emotions, and it turned me into a complete wreck. But as I became an adult, and with the help of girlfriends and other adults older and wiser than me, I learned a few things. I learned...

• Throw away your foolish pride. Pride is okay to have, but not when it is foolish. Not when it keeps you from making an emotional connection to those closest to you and those who want to be close to you. Not when it keeps you from being a better person.
• Having emotions doesn't make you weak, it makes you human. Despite what others may say, we all do. Just telling someone to "toughen up" or "stop crying" is an emotional response as well. None of us are unfeeling robots.
• It's okay to cry. Sh*t happens in life. People you love die, people make mistakes, nothing lasts forever, and our lives can fall apart around us. If we can't grieve, we can never move on. There's no shame in crying when we need to.

Eventually, I learned to let go and let it out, to feel like a normal human being, and yes I even re-taught myself how to cry. And you know what? I'm better for it.

 

But I've had so much drama in my life, I've decided it's no use just being a bundle of nerves and emotion. If you want to see my emotions, you have to earn it. You have to get to know me better, someone has to pass on, you have to share in the things I like and don't like. Outside of that, I'd rather not get emotional if I don't have to. Maybe, if I can be stronger then that, I might be able to the pillar of strength that people can rely on.

Yeah, while it can be bad even in Highschool and stuff, It can be even worse when your still in elementary school, and everyone isn't very mature, so the kids are pretty ingrained into social stereotypes to some extent.

 

In highschool though and beyond, similar things can happen though, it depends I guess.

 

I've only really cried in front of people like a few times, and half the times nobody noticed, or I wasn't exactly full out crying. Sometimes I'm just really close to it, but I don't. 

 

Sometimes it was mostly ignored, sometimes it got my some form of sympathy. Luckily I haven't been bullied or anything directly to my knowledge as a result, maybe partially because i was homeschooled before 8th grade and thus I get cut slack or something, or they just talk about it behind my back, who knows.

 

Still, like i've said before, I remain afraid to cry, and many times even when I feel like I am about to, I won't, or will fight it. So as a result, I cry pretty rarely.

 

Sometimes though, I feel like I'm just not as affected by things as I should be, like I'm just kinda numbed, and suppressing my feelings, especially crying, is just something natural, which kinda scares me sometimes.

 

It takes a lot to make me cry. I have to really feel a well of emotions to shed some tears.

 

When I was a kid, not so much. I'd cry at least once every few months. But as I got older... I just didn't cry all that often.

 

One thing that I want to say on this is that there is a little myth around the whole "crying doesn't make you a man" thing. I grew up around nothing but men and women who thought that dudes crying was weird, but in the end some of those same people I've seen cry.

 

But only when the time is right.

 

The reason people say not to cry because to me crying is a powerful thing to do. It shows that you are filled with such a strong emotion, whether it's tears of joy, sadness, or a combination of both, that to me to cry all of the time would be to waste something like that. Tears are something I think should be shed when the moment is right. For some people maybe that's more often than others, but I only cry when I have something worth crying over.

 

Some of the most "manly" moments I've had in my life happened while "manly" dudes were crying.

 

That's about all I wanna say on this.

I can agree with you to an extent, there is a such thing as to much crying, since it can lose it's impact, and you can just have people thinking "Oh, "Blank" is just crying again." 

 

Still, while I don't cry very often, I feel like I cry a little to infrequent, but I suppose it's hard to know for sure how much is the right amount.

 

I cry at what I consider a beautiful end to something, often fiction, like a TV show or a movie.

The only other time is, generally speaking, when I'm angry.

 

I cried a LOT throughout the anime Clannad and Clannad After Story... Dem feels. :c

I can't say i've cried watching any form of media honestly, i've got close maybe, but I can't say I have, either because I Supressed my feeelings or something.

 

I know that its good to cry, to let out what is troubling you once in awhile.

 

Sometimes I feel like things can get so bad...that if I don't just...cry because I can't find the time to talk about it, then crying is the only other solution. It's like a pressure valve being released on my system, allowing me to release all that pressure that has been built up within me from stress.

 

But then there are times I feel like crying is just not the answer, or its never the right time or place. There are people who depend on me, who see me as responsible and rely on my strength, and judgement as well as...well i guess moral and stability...If they see me 'cry' sometimes they see that as a sign that I've lost it or I'm no longer reliable.

 

This is far from the case though...I realize now thats how I think some people might see me, but they don't, they just don't see me cry often and that troubles them is all. So no I don't think its bad to cry, its a pressure valve everypony...seomtimes you gotta let it go.

Yeah, it does build up lots of pressure, and it feels just like a pressure valve inside you, unfortunately, I feel like my release doesn't work half the time. So I just end up really sad and or stressed, with no release.

 

I'm not afraid to cry but I just don't like the attention that I would get if I cry in front of others. Like everyone would be asking if I'm okay and what's wrong and stuff like that which would make me feel uncomfortable. But sometimes, a person can't help but just burst out into tears. It's a normal part of human emotion. Everyone does it. However, crying over every little thing is obnoxious in my opinion.

I guess I can understand that to an extent, of course, if your suffering from something that will make you cry, usually whether you want it or not, the attention can be helpful.

 

But there are some cases like in front of my parents and stuff I don't like to cry, because I just don't feel comfortable with it.

 

Of course I don't really feel comfortable crying in front of anyone really, but regardless.

 

When I was younger I got beaten by older and stronger people at my school for crying. I'm kind of afraid because I don't feel it will help anything. When there's a lot of stress on me usually I end up crying despite what I want and I feel even worse. But now I'm mostly drained of tears, and even in very stressful moments, most of the time, I don't feel like I will end up crying. 

Wow, what the heck? I'm so sorry to hear about that, talk about bullying.. ;/. 

[Mephisto 56]

I fear neither crying nor sadness. I rather relish it, as I have since lost the ability to cry. I live with so much disappointment and destruction in my world, that a tear would be welcome. So, I let you know now, love your sadness, enjoy your tears, because it hurts not to have them.

[Admiral Regulus 2,769]

I've seen that some people say that crying makes you less man, but I don't believe that. I think they say that because of the stereotypes which affect the world too much these days I think.

 

 

It's just cultural bullcrap. To the ancient Greeks, crying was one of the most manliest things you could do. It meant you actually gave a damn. Here's a somewhat comprehensive look at the history of the societal expectations of men:

 

http://www.artofmanliness.com/2008/06/19/when-is-it-okay-for-a-man-to-cry/

 

I try not to cry at school anymore, because I feel so embarrassed and weak when I do. Everyone just watches at me saying nothing that is the worst feeling. You just wish that you could hide under a rock. I don't know but when I heard someone that called me crybaby that just stroke me really deep. So deep that I can still feel it. That might be the reason why I hide all my feelings when I'm in front of everyones eyes.

 

 

It's kinda interesting you mention that.

 

During my early childhood, I would cry at times, yes. I don't remember anyone ever saying anything to me, anytime it ever happened. Even my mom was always quick to call me a crybaby. I absolutely hated that, so I learned very quickly never to cry. By the time I was 10, I was able to prevent myself from crying in front of people, on most occasions. By the time I was 12, I kept all my emotions locked in some sort of safe.

 

I have a reputation nowadays for being cold, harsh, and stoic like that. It's an image that I'm not really comfortable with, honestly... though I've somehow developed and fueled it in my past years. Perhaps my experiences earlier in life are why. Perhaps that explains why I never, ever, ever show emotion around my parents.

 

So... yeah. Since I was 13, I never cried in front of anyone. The last time, I remember perfectly. I was getting ready to move to California. I was staying in a hotel room with my mom, because we had already moved out of the house. We had to get up really early in the morning for my Dad's graduation. I was barely awake, and my mom was yanking me around trying to brush my hair and make me look nice. She yelled at me, and then I just snapped.

 

I don't know why I cried. I just did. I couldn't take it.

 

For the next four years, I never cried in front of anyone. I only cried one time, and that was when I was overhearing a conversation between my parents. They were talking about me... so yeah. I was 14 at the time, and from that day to the time I was almost 18, I never cried at all.

 

I had built up this wall. I was totally afraid to cry, not just in front of people, but even when I was alone. I wouldn't do it. I wouldn't just prevent myself from showing emotion; I completely prevented myself from having emotions.

 

One day, it all changed. When I was 17, almost 18, I started to realize that I had a bit of freedom. My parents stopped watching my every move. They stopped being such a big part of my life. So, at around that time, I was letting my guard down.

 

I started watching things like South Park, which my parents never approved of. But at the same time, I also started watching things from my childhood, like cartoons and children's TV shows. Because I knew no one was watching over me, I just did whatever I wanted.

 

And then... there came the day that I re-watched The Lion King. There I was sitting on my computer at night, no one around, and no one awake. My door was closed, the lights were off, and I was listening through my headphones. When Simba started crying over Mufasa's death, I started crying too. That scene hit me so freaking hard.

 

No one was around to stop me, so I just let it all out. Then, in the subsequent sad scenes, I kept crying. When the movie was over, I cried again. It was beautiful.

 

The next night, I watched the movie over again and repeated the process. I cried. I cried, and I enjoyed every moment of it. It actually felt good.

 

I kept doing that for a while, and I sorta developed this strange attachment or obsession over the movie. After being taught never to cry all my life, that was what broke it for me. I started seeing relationships as something meaningful.  I desired not to be stoic, but to have deep and intimate relationships with people.

 

That experience set the framework for my entry into the brony fandom. Suddenly, I became comfortable expressing my own emotions to myself, as long as I had the privacy of being alone. I started opening up to people more, although only on the internet. This developing sensation of neo-sincerity was what allowed me to watch a show titled Friendship is Magic. From there, that expanded things even farther.

 

Watching the show brought me all sorts of emotions. While I never cried at any point in the first two seasons, exploring the fandom brought me into the world of fanfictions. As I quickly learned, I loved to read sad stories. They would make me cry, and I liked that. It seems weird, but it felt good to feel sad.

 

So, since then... I've become a bit of a crybaby. I still don't cry in front of other people, although if I'm alone, I'll cry over just about anything. That's been true for about three years now, as that's almost as long as I've been a brony.

 

I don't think of it as a bad thing. I think of it as being similar to a state of transcendence. I could easily go back to hiding my emotions again, but I choose not to. Yes, I cry... and it is my choice to do so. It is my choice to allow myself to be weak when no one is looking.

 

And why should I not? Because society says I should not?

 

Pbbah! Society can go fund itself! [south Park reference here]

Edited September 25, 2014 by Regulus

[Guest]

I am not afraid to cry I don't cry over everything but if something happens or I'm watching a sad movie I'll cry cause crying helps.

[Anilewe 2,178]

No, I'm not afraid to cry. Crying is healthy, we need to cry. It's a way to express our emotions and it usually makes us feel better. But yes, crying in public makes me uncomfortable. I prefer to cry when I'm alone or around people close to me. Of course, it depends on why I cry. I have no problem with crying on movies or when something really sad happens (I cried openly on my grandfather's funeral). But if it's something really personal I feel better when I'm alone. I don't like other people watching me while I'm crying and I don't want them to ask me what is wrong. 

[Stormlight 1,371]

Of course not! Crying is what makes us human. There are times where it is accectable, like at a funeral or a sad movie/book, but it is NOT when trying to beg for something you want from a store, because maybe your mom couldn't afford it or another reason.

[King Sejong 858]

   I'm not afraid to cry, I shed a lot of tears during my military years and ever since. It is a myth that servicemen are strong Rambo like warriors, but Rambo hadn't seen real war like I have, or other servicemen before me, I have noticed people today worship strength, and mock weakness, we see that in film or politics, it is seldom we see vulnerability in real life or in fiction, yet true measure strength is not the ability to project, and express a shallow show of muscle or force, so that is what I came to admire about MLP, the whole range of emotions and resolution, including weeping a normal response to an atypical moment, don't be afraid to cry my friends, society can not make you surrender your feelings; embrace the fact you are human.     

[Otaku 7]

Crying is something I do often. I'm quite emotional.

Futurama has made me cry before. But I'll never cry in public because it's public.

[Solid 1,326]

Tears of rage count right?