Nowadays it’s more common to say to a man that he should not cry because society has made it such a standard that men are not supposed to cry. Dean Cook said, “I’ve gotten the feeling over time that it’s not as okay to cry as a man.” Men should not have to feel this way. They should be able to express their emotions just as much as women can. Men shouldn’t feel ashamed to have feelings.
Cook said he doesn’t cry very often, but he does it when he’s either “very stressed, happy, sad or mad.” He said that he tries to keep his emotions to himself and doesn’t want to lay off his problems onto other people. He believes that there is such a stigma because men are “stereotypically” stronger mentally. Cook said that another reason he feels like he can’t cry is because of the “disgusted looks, and irritated faces I’ve seen when crying. I do not feel comfortable nor like I can in public.”
Men shouldn’t have to feel like they are being judged for showing their emotions or having feelings. Taylar Schuler said, “I cry when I’m sad, happy, scared, overwhelmed, or mad.” She said that she cries at least once a week and feels like guys should be able to cry whenever they need to. She said they have just as many emotions as girls and should be able to express their emotions. She said that society has made it seem like guys should be “strong, not weak,” and like they should show emotion.
Eleanor Meyer thinks that men should be able to be vulnerable and said, “In America it is thought that men need to be tough but I think it is okay for men to be vulnerable.” Meyer said that she is a very emotional person and feels that everyone has these emotions and should be able to let them out. She also said that if men are able to comprehend their own feelings that they are better able to comprehend the feelings of those around them. Meyer said that she usually likes to keep her emotions to herself and doesn’t want other people to deal with the burden of her emotions, so when she lets out her emotions it is often in her room by herself.
Elynor Brummer said that people should be able to cry, and people should not have to bottle up their emotions. She said, “I think it is good to express your emotions in a healthy way,” she also said “If we aren’t supposed to feel our emotions then why do we have them?” Brummer said, “Back in the day crying was a sign of weakness and men were supposed to be tough.” She then said that this stigma is still around today and a lot of men find themselves keeping in their emotions so no one thinks they are weak. “Thoughts like these are absurd and anyone should be allowed to feel however they want without fear of judgement.” she said.
Although it is typically said that men not should cry, Kaden Stacy said that he has no shame in crying and thinks that it is a very healthy thing that your body needs to do. He said, “I believe that men don’t want to cry because crying means weakness because it is said everywhere– especially online, and sometimes men or just people in general will get made fun of for crying.”
Everyone has different views on emotions but just know that you should surround yourself with people that won’t judge you for showing your emotions. These kinds of people don’t need to know what you are crying about but they will be there for you no matter what. Can you be someone that people can lean on when they need someone to talk to?
