Why is there such a stigma against crying? What's wrong with showing some emotion? The short answer is nothing. There's absolutely nothing wrong with shedding a few tears, or more. It doesn't make you weak or sensitive. It makes you human.
Ever since a very young age, I was told that I was too sensitive. That I cried too much or got upset too easily. I was told that because I cried, I was displaying weakness, as if I were some kind of one dimensional, perfect being that wasn't entirely human. I don't hold anything against the people that told me those things, as they were simply repeating everything that they had been taught. However, this belief that crying shows weakness needs to end. It's not only damaging to certain individuals, but also to society. It'll only continue to cause pain unless we put a stop to it.
So, why do we have such a stigma anyway? What's the deal? Well, unfortunately, in this case, men have it harder than women. There's much more of a stigma against men crying versus women crying, which possibly stems from a feeling that tears are feminine and may "compromise masculinity." Personally, I don't think this is the case at all. Oftentimes, I find that girls actually like guys who show emotion more than stoic guys, because publicly displaying emotions shows that one is more in touch with their inner self. I think it boils down to other people's discomfort. Most people don't really understand or know how to deal with someone who's crying. So instead of learning how to handle and console an emotionally overwhelmed person, society has simply deemed it as a weakness.
Crying isn't a matter of strength or sensitivity. It's simply your body's way of trying to calm you down. Oftentimes, crying actually helps soothe you. I know that after I have a good cry, I feel a lot better than before. In fact, crying is known to release leucine-enkaphilin. According to "How Crying Works" from howstuffworks.com, leucine-enkaphilin is "an endorphin that reduces pain and works to improve mood." Based on this, crying is actually scientifically good for you!
Through my own anecdotal research, I've noticed that people who suppress their emotions and don't cry often (or at all) are typically more likely to have large, infrequent outbursts that ultimately result in more damage being done than if they had simply cried. Furthermore, these people tend to push their views on crying towards others, inflicting even more harm than necessary.
There's really no need to suppress your emotions. If you feel like crying, then go for it. Don't hold your tears back just to please society. If you personally don't think crying accomplishes anything or it just doesn't work for you, then that's your prerogative. Just, please, don't force others to hold their emotions in. You never know what they're going through, so telling them to "stop being so sensitive" may hurt them for the rest of their lives.
