Why do women cover their mouths when they laugh, and why do we tell men not to cry, but to 'be a man'?

I must admit that one of the few times I’ve seen a man cry is on television. Moreover, it seems as though the whole room stops and stares when a girl is heard laughing.Regardless, emotions are a crucial component of humanity’s evolutionary heritage and are responsible for a great deal of nonverbal communication. It is our ability to interact—through a warm smile, bubbly laughter or choked tears—that has inexorably entwined us all.

Laughter is irrational and sometimes vexing. We laugh at witty anecdotes, corny jokes from our grandparents and best friends tripping and falling in the mud (before helping them up). However, along the way we were taught that tears are synonymous with frailty and have been conditioned to suppress our booming laughs.I believe laughter is one of the greatest gifts given to humanity. The kind of giggles that turn into riotous guffawing fill me with so much joy. I’m even grateful for my own laugh (though obnoxious at times). Likewise, tears are a necessary for psychological health.

Frustratingly, it seems that these emotions have been gendered. Maud Fernhout, however, is on mission to restructure this thought process. The 19-year-old photographer from the Netherlands developed two photo projects—"What Real Men Like” and “What Real Women Cry Like". And I must say, it is one of the most beautiful portfolios I have seen.

She photographed 19 men and women in the most raw and vulnerable of emotional states. The result was a stark commentary on gender roles and stereotypes. Shedding a tear here and there as well as laughing uncontrollably are components of what make life manageable.

Next time you feel like crying or laughing, just let it out because life is too short to keep your feelings bottled up inside. If you don't care much for crying, that's okay too but don't let gender stereotyping stop you from being able to express your emotions is healthy and constructive ways.