365 rules to live by 4/10/16

Everyday for the next year I will be posting a new Inspirational Rule to consider living by. I hope you enjoy.

Rule #177 4/10/16

Crying isn’t weakness. Crying is release.

Did you know that human beings aren’t the only animals that feel sadness? Almost all animals express sadness, depression, and loneliness in their own way.  In fact, almost all mammals mourn the loss of their offspring.  But human beings are the only type of animal that are taught self-expression should be tamed or suppressed.  Girls are told to stop being so “sensitive”, and boys are told to “be a man” and toughen up.  Boys are taught that crying to much means they are a sissy, and girls are told crying too much makes them crazy.
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We aren’t told that crying is actually essential and is something we should do more of if we feel it’s what we need to do to express ourselves.  We develop resistance to crying, which causes emotional suppression, which causes psychological and physical complications.  We bottle up our emotions and expect them to take care of themselves, when the cure to our problems is sometimes as simple as allowing ourselves to actually feel deeply for a moment.