Should Men Cry?
sxc.hu: nazreth
“The sorrow which has no vent in tears may make other organs weep.” — Henry Maudsley
One of the major difference between living beings and the non living beings is the presence of emotions. And interestingly, human beings have an advantage over other organisms because human beings can express their emotions. We can laugh when we are happy, jump when we are excited, and cry when we are sad. Some species can not even do that. But even in this ‘expression’ of our emotions, society has had a profound impact on who can express what and how. Since ages, there has been a wide acceptance of the notion of masculinity, which has been related to tough and strong men, who do not cry. Let’s have a look at the different aspects of this absurd societal construct while gradually moving towards our question, “Should men cry?”
1. Why should someone cry?
Science says you need to cry so as to get rid of the extra chemical built up near the eyes. Besides that, there are many other equally crucial reasons why people should not avoid crying, when they strongly feel like. Tears are a means of communication. Most of the times, they depict the extremity of emotions, be it sadness or happiness. This is one the most relieving way of expression which every human experiences from the time s/he is born. If you cried when you came to this world, then why should you feel shy to cry, to express the most basic of your emotions, in the name of following the notion called ‘masculinity’? Try to avoid laughing or smiling for a whole week. Do you think you can follow it for long? No one can. Crying is a similar emotion through which you vent out your anger, frustration, gloom, and even stress. No medicine can help you the way expressing your feelings can.
2. Emotions are universal and do not differentiate between men and women
“A man before being a man is human…. and humans cry” – Jonathan Robledo Flores
You can divide a society into race, religion, class or gender but emotions can not be classified. They can not belong to one community, one country, one race or even one gender. That simply means, it’s quite natural for men to cry.
3. For your physical and mental health
Most men do not cry because they are ‘men’ and it is shameful for a man to cry. But, do you know the downsides of not crying. Research reveals, tears contain stress hormones, which can damage almost all bodily systems. They also cause a lot of damage to your brain cells, causing mood disorders. Stress hormones have a negative impact on almost every system of your body including cardiovascular, endocrine, gastrointestinal, and your immune system. Since tears are the primary and the most important way of releasing them, crying is good for health.
4. Femininity and masculinity are social constructs
The very reason behind the idea of “men do not cry” is the gender bias of society. We were born as human beings but society made different norms for men and women. Such ideas and beliefs are simply constructed for the benefit of some people at some point of time.
By now, the answer to the question, “should men cry” must have been clear. No matter what you are, a man or a woman, a middle class person or a billionaire, expressing your emotions is extremely vital. So, instead of blindly following societal constructs and ‘dos’ and ‘don’ts’, come out of the shackles and do what your body needs and your mind wants. Cry when it’s all blue and laugh when it’s all bright.
