From a young age boys are told not to cry, yet it's the opposite for girls

Such rubbish is spoken by men who are jerks and make their self feel rough and rugged by intimidating and dominating boys.   

Thanks whistle6.  

My parents never taught me not to cry.  I'll cry at the drop of a hat...but like any real man would I use my shirt sleeve instead of a hankie. :-)

Why does dropped hat so distress you?

I was never taught not to cry. It seems more of an old fashioned thing to teach one's children. 

I was quite sensitive as a young kid and cried often, though I got over it as I got older. 

I see it as a sign of weakness, that someone cannot keep their emotions under control.  There is no argument for strength unless the person has the strength to keep their emotions under control but chooses not to.

Even in children?  I find such a position to be posturing nonsense.  We are all vulnerable. We are all subject to a myriad of hurt and pain. why had the response?  Does one hide happiness or excitement?  To me people who hold to this position that crying is a weakness are doing so to hide their own vulnerability and hurt under a facade of be oh so rugged. 

Children learn to not cry just as they learn to not scream or yell at inappropriate times or get into fights and learn to control their bladders.  Yes we hide happiness and excitement and anger and other emotions when needed.  Of course to have control over yourself but make a choice to display some emotion when it might be a hard choice takes strength.  To be overcome by emotion and to have no control over yourself takes as much strength as pissing in your pants.  To not have control over yourself is not a sign of strength, it is that simple.

"That simple."  Like this simple minded comment? 

Yes just like your simple minded comment.

Your manly stoicism is an inspiration to all.

I'm male and I was never told by my parents, siblings, or anyone else, not to cry. Sure, some think that crying is a sign of  weakness but that notion is horse hockey. Is crying a sign of strength? yes and also a sign of compassion, love, happiness, and many other things as well.

  Very well said.

Did you anger take control over you because I did not agree with you and you are ruled by your emotions?

I think this may be a cultural issue  Who tells girls to cry?

Rufus, I like how you put that. I think this was something more common in the past, an old way of thinking of sorts. I never understood that way of thinking. Nobody wants to see anyone continually sniveling, man or woman, but that's not even what we're talking about. It's all about being sensitive and caring and not being afraid of expressing it. Like with watching sad movies, I'm a big cryer and it puzzles me how some men can hold that in. This may sound strange to some, but to me a man that shows emotions Is more appealing than one who doesn't.

LIKE......THANK YOU

Whistle, I agree with you totally. THANK YOU...LIKE!!!!

ITpro, I'm not sure why someone would teach their son not to cry. If you teach them not to show that emotion, how will they understand and sympathize and empathize with someone who does. I agree, however, that we should teach our children not to scream or laugh, etc, at inappropriate times. But we don't teach our children NEVER to scream or laugh. So I don't understand your comparison. It's simply another emotion that we display at the appropriate times.

THANK YOU

We are also designed with the ability to piss in our pants.

We learn not to do that.

We piss when the time is right.  There is no problem with pissing, the problem is with not having control over when you piss.  That is weakness.

I believe we agree.

To laugh or scream is not a sign of weakness or strength.  Neither is to cry.  To say crying takes strength is stupid, it does not.  It takes strength to have the choice of when to display emotions, and it is weakness to live without that choice and be a slave to emotions.

WW, I love it! Thank you for taking the time to express your opinion so eloquently.

LIKE.....THANK YOU!!!

ProblemCh1ld, I'm a very emotional person and wear it on my sleeve so-to-speak. Though I don't cry constantly, there are certain things that will open the flood gates such as strong feelings of love. Witnessing acts of bravery, acts of kindness. Certain songs, singers, and music effect me as well. I have no problem with showing emotion. :)

  

Rufus Clancy, it's nice to hear  that.  All the same things get to me too.  Oh yeah and most Hallmark movies too lol  thank you!