"John. Are you... crying? C'mon man, get it together, don't be a wimp!" Though it may not always be expressed in those exact words, the tangible slouching of this type of dialogue can be felt throughout our culture. Speaking as a man myself, I know the pressures and the expectations of "keeping it all together all the time" and being a "real" man. There's a problem with roots that lie deep within the soil of unrealistic and erroneous behavior and expectancy.
Most men are taught, whether purposefully or not, by their environment and the stigma that others give off that crying and showing their emotions is a sign of weakness and doesn't make them a true man. This is absolutely not the case. Not even remotely. Yes, their are times when men are expected to be strong and hold things together for their family, but that certainly doesn't mean that they shouldn't cry or vent when they need to. In fact, when we don't release our emotions and we just bottle everything up inside, we are going against our very human nature. We have feelings for a reason, and they are meant to be felt, expressed and heard.
The shaming and guilt that so many men feel when they cry (especially in front of others) is very powerful, and it strikes me to my core that these pressures and humiliations are so widely spread when they are so unnecessary. In this day and age we are taught that the strongest men never cry, never weep, and never show fear. I think the real meaning of strength and courage has more to do with fighting against those barriers, and not being afraid to do what so many others won't. It takes more courage to let your emotions out, and make yourself vulnerable to other people than it ever will keeping them inside.
What I'm trying to get at is that nobody should be repressed from expressing themselves and showing every part of their feelings. Emotions are an important part of us, and they help appeal to so many different situations, they help us cope with tough circumstances and they make us who we are. We need to encourage each other and lift each other up, and help others to feel free to show their feelings rather than tear our peers down.
