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"An odd dichotomy there. Girl tears are considered weak, but guy tears are strong and sensitive."
Well, that depends on who you talk to. For some people, it's the exact opposite. Some people will comfort a crying woman but ridicule a crying man for being "weak" or "effeminate". Both "inconsistent" views stem from the same original stereotypes, though.
Being an egalitarian who thinks that men and women are more similar than different, I think it's perfectly fine when anyone expresses emotion.
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"An odd dichotomy there. Girl tears are considered weak, but guy tears are strong and sensitive."
I reacted to that with a raised eyebrow myself, but I think it could be interpreted differently. She might mean that, since women are expected to be more emotional, a crying woman is giving in (weakly) to her nature, whereas a crying man is showing strength by overcoming his.
However, the reason this is admirable for a man, nowadays, is because we attribute silly "machismo" to men being less tear-prone. Therefore, tears are a sign of the highly evolved male.
Still, this New Age embrace of male tears seems limited to certain select situations. For example, if it's Bob Dole crying about his war experiences or, better yet, your hubby crying at the latest Victoria Principle flick on Lifetime - now those are "good" guy tears, tears women can understand and approve of. But, when it comes to things like everyday stresses or disappointments (especially if they're disappointments we associate with the "old" male - like something to do with one's job), then it's just a sign of a big baby.
Personally, I hate when I cry - because I feel totally out of control and naked to the world, like a pathetic child all over again. At the same time, however, I'm a big fan of emotional catharsis in films and music - and I don't mind shedding a few light tears at a particularly moving song or movie. I kind of seek that out, actually. But in my daily life, I prefer to be a stone wall.
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If a man is crying it is usually because of some drastically bad situation, such as war or the loss of someone close or being put in a nasty situation.
In my observations anyway, men are chastised, mocked and shunned if they show weakness or cry about "everyday" problems. Whereas women can cry at the drop of a hat and garner sympathy.
So, in a way, yes, men's tears are considered "strong" but only because society will only accept men crying when they are under extreme duress. :P
"Laugh and the world laughs with you. If a man cries, he cries alone."
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