by Wayne Ramsey

Created on: March 24, 2007   Last Updated: October 17, 2010

Manliness doesn't always have to be determined by a lack of tears pouring from a man's face.  In fact, there are plenty of reasons for a man to cry that are perfectly acceptible even for the most manly of men.  There are however times when a man really shouldn't cry and those are the moments that a man will get a bad reputation for shedding a tear.  For a man it is all about only crying when it is right to do so and doing your best to hold back during those moments when a man is supposed to be strong. 

As a man it is important to know the difference between a wimpy cry and an acceptable manly cry.  Knowing the different situations when it is reasonable to cry is one of the first lessons that every young man must learn before they are able to truly take a walk into adulthood.  While most situations are relatively obvious there are some situations that run a fine line where crying could either be seen as a sign of weakness or sensitivity.  It is important to weigh the positives and negatives to know if the risk is worth it in every situation. 

Probably one of most important times that a man must not cry, is during a sad movie. Why? Because if you are watching a sad movie and you cry and someone looks over at you, it will never go away. You will never heard the end of it. So, during these times, you need to muscle up, pull back your tears, and suck your way through it. If need be, go to the bathroom for god's sake. You cannot cry as a man during movies, unless this movie happens to be Rocky or the Godfather or any other man related movie, those are perfectly acceptable. No one will make fun of you for that. But if it's during the Notebook, or Bambi, life could be rough for as long as you know those people. After that, every dramatic movie will start with a joke on your behalf.

However, a man should cry during times of passion, during serious conversations about the relationship, about love, and even on your wedding day. Crying during these times show that you care and show that you are able to connect with the person that you care about. They aren't going to mock you for it, and will probably appreciate the fact that you are showing obvious emotion during a serious conversation or moment. This will only help to bring you and her together.

Men are also able to cry because someone died, because their hometown was just bombed, because their dog died, anything like that is acceptable. This is normal for everyone to have the

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