Who decided ??? Tears are feminine.. silence is masculine.. ?!

[Vedha]

Women are allowed to cry. Men are taught not to. And there's a huge difference between the two.

From childhood, society often creates two different emotional worlds.

When a little girl cries, she's comforted. People say she's sensitive, emotional or going through something.

When a little boy cries, he is often told, "Boys don't cry", "Be strong", or "Don't behave like a girl."

A woman expressing sadness is sometimes considered natural.
A man expressing sadness is sometimes perceived as weakness.

But here's the irony.
Men experience heartbreak.
Men experience rejection.
Men lose loved ones.
Men suffer from loneliness, depression, betrayal and insecurity.

Their tear ducts don't have a gender. Their pain doesn't have a gender. Their emotions certainly don't have a gender.

Why does society do this?

Traditional masculinity: Men are expected to be providers, protectors and problem-solvers, not people who need emotional support.

Fear of judgment: Many men worry that showing vulnerability will affect how their partners, friends or families perceive them.

Emotional conditioning: Boys are often taught to suppress emotions rather than understand and process them.

Confusing strength with silence: Society mistakes the absence of tears for the presence of strength.

But here's what I believe.
A man who cries isn't necessarily weak.
Sometimes, it takes more courage for a man to admit that he's hurting than to pretend that everything is fine.

And a woman shouldn't have to justify her tears either.
We shouldn't teach boys to stop crying. We should teach children that emotions are human, vulnerability is not shameful, and seeking comfort is not a weakness.

One thought I'd love to leave you with:
If a woman cries, we ask her what happened. If a man cries, we often ask him why he's behaving like that.
Perhaps the question we need to change isn't why men cry.
It's why we make them feel they shouldn't.

Psychologically speaking, suppressing emotions doesn't make them disappear. It can make it harder to process distress, communicate emotional needs and seek support.
We often celebrate women for being emotionally expressive, yet judge men for showing the very same vulnerability.

Isn't that a contradiction?
A man crying doesn't make him less masculine. A woman crying doesn't make her less strong.
Strength isn't about holding back tears. Sometimes, strength is having the courage to admit that you're hurting.

"Who decided that tears are feminine and silence is masculine?" ❤️