Crying and Showing Emotions

[Tara]

I hope I did the poll right. The following are two articles from beliefnet.

Toxic tears: how crying keeps you healthy
Big boys don't cry: how men grieve

What are your thoughts about the showing of emotions? What about between men and women? Do you think society puts restrictions on who is allowd to show what emotions? Are there benefits to showing your emotions?

[dianaholberg]

I believe there is a time and a place.

Being a very sensitive soul, I am always greatly affected by what goes on around me. But I have also always been careful about expressing my emotions appropriately.

As a career woman, by necessity I have to keep my emotions on the back burner during the work day. But I have a strong support system of folks who empathize, let me do my "venting" when needed, and give very constructive advice upon request.

I think the key is being selective in one's choice of intimate friends and being completely open with them. Then there's no difficulty in holding back where appropriate in other settings.

[littlepea]

i can't remember the last time i cried, though it might have been when i broke my collar bone on the first day of a week-long ski trip with my school in my final year there. it was quite painful, of course, but just the fact that i knew it was all over before it'd hardly started really sucked. i wasn't crying by the time the medics came to drag me down the mountain in a toboggan, however, i'll always try and put a brave face on in situations like that. that was about 2 and a half years ago, can't remember crying since then, and even at the time i wasn't exactly full of tears, just one or two ...

[Tara]

I usually keep the crying to myself. But even then sometimes I find it hard to do so. I didn't have such a problem, let's say, a few years ago. But even when I'm really, really sad, it feels tough. Maybe it's because I don't want to cry b/c it hurts. Or maybe it's because deep down inside, I know things are going to be alright.

[dianaholberg]

I cry nearly every day -- every time I pray... but that's different from the emotion you are talking about I think, because I don't know what you mean when you say it hurts. For me it is cleansing -- like a good laugh or a primal scream. ;D

[Tara]

The crying I originally meant when starting this thread was about the type of crying that comes with pain. I didn't even think of the tears of joy. lol But in some cases, it even feels as if crying makes things feel worse. But it's only the flow of emotions. It is cleansing, but the process itself hurts and I think that's why a lot of people may avoid crying.

[dianaholberg]

I'd say joy and pain are very closely related... in fact, in many ways joy is redeemed pain.

[littlepea]

oh, i've cried tears of joy on a number of occaisions in the last year or two now you meantion it, mainly cos of football games i've been to that were especially dramatic (including a mini-pitch invasion - it was ;D), but also other things too.

[ophelia97]

Usually I don't cry in public, but I can't hold back in certain situations. I think the last time was when I was evacuating for the hurricane and couldn't find a hotel room anywhere after going through 3 states. I went into random hotels up in Arkansas and asked if they had rooms left and the person at the front desk of one said they had one room left. I couldn't help crying (out of joy) in the middle of the front lobby, but it was an appropriate situation.