Why Does Crying Make Someone Weak?

[Colonels_Wear_Blue]

I'm with @archangel on this one. I, too, cried when Dale Earnhardt died. He meant a lot to me personally. Just because someone is in a dangerous career doesn't mean that if they die doing that, that crying isn't a natural reaction. I have multiple students serving in the military right now, stationed in dangerous places and doing dangerous jobs. If (Lord protect them) something were to happen to one of them, I'd certainly cry my eyes out. Likely for days. Yet, they chose a dangerous career.

 

I'm going to give a somewhat different example. For those of you that have been around for awhile, you will remember Alabama Larry. I never once met Larry in person, but I felt like that I knew him personally and when he passed away, it hurt. Without ever meeting him, he made an impact on my life. That's why ol' TB&G will always have the Alabama avatar photo.

 

The connection there is that, in a different way, Dale Earnhardt made an impact on my life, too. His loss was painful.

 

My point was more intended to be "different strokes for different folks". What makes one person cry may not make another cry. Calling things "stupid stuff" to cry over is what I was taking issue with. I don't care for auto racing, and I also would personally (purely personal opinion) say that it's a pretty death-defying career choice that, as a sport, is an unnecessary thing - unlike the military and the military careers required to fuel the military. Auto racing, to me, flirts enough with disaster that when people are injured/killed doing it, my knee-jerk response is more along the line of "well duh..." than it is "oh, that's sad". If someone wants to cry when an auto racer dies, though, that's fine by me.

 

Just don't turn around and say elections are "stupid stuff" to cry over.

[Jim Schue]

I find I get misty a lot more than I used to. Big moments in movies/TV, or certain favorite songs.

 

I've got a bit of an empathic streak too, so that can sometimes happen when sharing a difficult moment/conversation with someone. Funerals and other emotional moments/tragedy when it comes to friends and loved ones are obvious.

 

If that makes me weak, I invite you to come on down to Bardstown and getcha a shot at the title.

[PP1]

When Ric Flair won the 1992 Royal Rumble, I shed a tear. When Michael Jordan retired the second time I wept.

[True blue (and gold)]

My point was more intended to be "different strokes for different folks". What makes one person cry may not make another cry. Calling things "stupid stuff" to cry over is what I was taking issue with. I don't care for auto racing, and I also would personally (purely personal opinion) say that it's a pretty death-defying career choice that, as a sport, is an unnecessary thing - unlike the military and the military careers required to fuel the military. Auto racing, to me, flirts enough with disaster that when people are injured/killed doing it, my knee-jerk response is more along the line of "well duh..." than it is "oh, that's sad". If someone wants to cry when an auto racer dies, though, that's fine by me.

 

Just don't turn around and say elections are "stupid stuff" to cry over.

I understand your perspective much better now. Thanks.

[Run To State]

Agree with both you and @cammando. Does this mean we are weaker in our old(er) age?

 

I often get choked up when I hear the national anthem or sometimes when saying the Pledge in my classroom in the mornings.

 

To answer my own question from above, I don't think that it makes us weaker. I think that it's a result of us being more appreciative of things.

 

Overall, I think women are more emotional then men, so it's not so unusual for women to cry over things men don't. On average, anyway.

Interestingly enough, Google tells me according to Women's Health Magazine, in middle age men begin to cry more and get angry less, while women experience the exact opposite. This is due in large part to testosterone and estrogen, which begin to decline in men and women respectively and help to even out the playing field. That's likely why @cammando said "crying comes easier with age".

[Run To State]

I can think about a LOT of high-stress scenarios that would easily lend toward it:

 

You need a certain GPA to get into a certain grad school or college program, your GPA is dangerously close to it and you're about to take a REALLY hard exam....or you just took the exam and it was a ball-buster.

 

My wife took more than a few exams in med school that would make or break her final grade in the particular class she was taking...and if you get below a C in a class in med school, you don't get to repeat the class the next year, you repeat the entire year of med school. So failing a class would have meant she would have put us out of $53,000.00 ...I could see that making someone cry over an exam.

 

I'm terrible at physics. I'm great at math, but God-awful at physics. I HAD to take physics for my degree. I took it the first time, worked my rear end off and failed. Took it over again (you only get one shot at taking a core-curriculum class over in college), and going into the final I was two grade points below the minimum required grade to get the credit. I walked out of the exam feeling like I'd just failed the class and was going to have to find a new degree to start over in as a result. Admittedly, I didn't cry, but I wouldn't have ever blamed someone in those same shoes if they had.

 

But, as you said, you didn't cry. I will say, if it's something that destroys the career you're seeking it's understandable. But that isn't what I'm talking about.

 

I think many of us look at this young college age generation as emotionally weak because of the things (that we feel is ridiculous for adults, and they are adults) they draw attention to themselves for. Things we would have felt asinine to do. Cry closets, safe spaces, puppy videos, coloring books. College is a time to grow up and prepare for life. To many of us, that's going in the wrong direction.

 

Also, since you and others feel they should be allowed to do whatever they choose (which is fine), you should also agree it's fine for us to view it as ridiculous. After all, it's merely our opinion and we certainly have every right to our opinion.

 

As to your point on elections in post #61, we will agree to disagree. I've seen a lot of elections. This is the first time I have ever witnessed people cry over the result, and in huge numbers. I've feared many elections, after all, my future was possibly at risk and still possibly is every 4 years. I've never felt the need to cry over it and know of no one in the industry I work in to cry either. And trust me, unfavorable results have put a LOT of people I've know over the years out of work. So, again, I just don't get it.

[John Anthony]

Baseball.

[Run To State]

I’ll be seeing him in September.

I'm officially jealous.

[B-Ball-fan]

I’ll be seeing him in September.

 

That's cool... that should a great show. :thumb:

 

Not sure how he presently sets up his stage, but when I saw him about 15 years ago he went all out loading the stage with a monster pile of junk that must've taken numerous trucks to haul around, and quite an ordeal for his stage crew to set up night after night.

 

This song "I Never Cry" is interesting in that it truly is a great emotional song, but wrapped up in his theatrics it's hard to tell if he means for it to be taken that way, or tongue in cheek. On it's own it's still a great song that's always been one of my favorites of his.

[rjs4470]

But, as you said, you didn't cry. I will say, if it's something that destroys the career you're seeking it's understandable. But that isn't what I'm talking about.

 

I think many of us look at this young college age generation as emotionally weak because of the things (that we feel is ridiculous for adults, and they are adults) they draw attention to themselves for. Things we would have felt asinine to do. Cry closets, safe spaces, puppy videos, coloring books. College is a time to grow up and prepare for life. To many of us, that's going in the wrong direction.

 

Also, since you and others feel they should be allowed to do whatever they choose (which is fine), you should also agree it's fine for us to view it as ridiculous. After all, it's merely our opinion and we certainly have every right to our opinion.

 

As to your point on elections in post #61, we will agree to disagree. I've seen a lot of elections. This is the first time I have ever witnessed people cry over the result, and in huge numbers. I've feared many elections, after all, my future was possibly at risk and still possibly is every 4 years. I've never felt the need to cry over it and know of no one in the industry I work in to cry either. And trust me, unfavorable results have put a LOT of people I've know over the years out of work. So, again, I just don't get it.

 

I think many of the things you mention, do seem silly. But as has been said, if you enjoy coloring, or playing with dogs to relax, who am I to say it's silly. My dad carved and painted duck decoys. My Uncle painted. I wouldn't say those hobbies are all that far away from coloring. Also, while things like cry closets and safe spaces exist apparently, and have received lots of reporting, I still question the extent to which they are being used. In my experience with my college age kids and friends, I'm not aware of any of them resorting to those methods as a way to cope, and I believe their use is being way overstated. Much like eating Tide Pods, or condom snorting, I don't think their existence or use is representative of that generation as whole.

[Run To State]

I think many of the things you mention, do seem silly. But as has been said, if you enjoy coloring, or playing with dogs to relax, who am I to say it's silly. My dad carved and painted duck decoys. My Uncle painted. I wouldn't say those hobbies are all that far away from coloring. Also, while things like cry closets and safe spaces exist apparently, and have received lots of reporting, I still question the extent to which they are being used. In my experience with my college age kids and friends, I'm not aware of any of them resorting to those methods as a way to cope, and I believe their use is being way overstated. Much like eating Tide Pods, or condom snorting, I don't think their existence or use is representative of that generation as whole.

 

For me, it's the context. We aren't talking about hobbies, we're talking about these "kids" feeling the need for them to actually cope. At least that's how these things have been reported. A hobby is a pastime, a leisure activity, an interest.

 

I think you're correct that it isn't large numbers and likely is overstated, I certainly hope so anyway. When you add this stuff to the confusion on what bathroom to use, how they want to identify and other things that are odd to a lot of us, they draw the attention that you're seeing them receive. It likely makes it hard on those of their generation that are more what the norm has been. I know my kids hate being called millennials because of the negative light that the ones we're talking about has shed on them.

[True blue (and gold)]

Overall, I think women are more emotional then men, so it's not so unusual for women to cry over things men don't. On average, anyway.

Interestingly enough, Google tells me according to Women's Health Magazine, in middle age men begin to cry more and get angry less, while women experience the exact opposite. This is due in large part to testosterone and estrogen, which begin to decline in men and women respectively and help to even out the playing field. That's likely why @cammando said "crying comes easier with age".

I disagree. I think that anger is an emotional response just as much as crying. As such, women aren't more emotional than men.

[kygirl]

I'm with @archangel on this one. I, too, cried when Dale Earnhardt died. He meant a lot to me personally. Just because someone is in a dangerous career doesn't mean that if they die doing that, that crying isn't a natural reaction. I have multiple students serving in the military right now, stationed in dangerous places and doing dangerous jobs. If (Lord protect them) something were to happen to one of them, I'd certainly cry my eyes out. Likely for days. Yet, they chose a dangerous career.

 

I'm going to give a somewhat different example. For those of you that have been around for awhile, you will remember Alabama Larry. I never once met Larry in person, but I felt like that I knew him personally and when he passed away, it hurt. Without ever meeting him, he made an impact on my life. That's why ol' TB&G will always have the Alabama avatar photo.

 

The connection there is that, in a different way, Dale Earnhardt made an impact on my life, too. His loss was painful.

 

I agree so much with this post. Crying for loss of a loved one, a person you connect with or a situation that seems so unfair is a way to come to grips with the reality or simply a way to vent. I'm not a cryer by natural but there are certain times that the tears flow.

[Run To State]

I disagree. I think that anger is an emotional response just as much as crying. As such, women aren't more emotional than men.

 

What? Women don't get angry?

[True blue (and gold)]

What? Women don't get angry?

Some look at those that cry as weak. Anger is also an emotional response. Why are those that respond with that emotion not considered weak as well?