I dunno.
This guy tried something like that once when I was stressed/depressed. I will admit, the catharsis of crying was emotionally effective, trading feeling stressed for feeling drained.
I’d better warn all the “real” guys out there (as I am one), experiment CAREFULLY. Like every other medicine or drug, know your limitations. The hard stuff can have serious consequences if you can’t handle it. I laughed at Titanic. I was mellow through melodramas. I can even smile through Old Yeller now (though not in 4th grade, I will admit). I thought I was tough.
But there are some things out there that have left me shaken, to the point I, a former jock, can pull up actual TEARS AT WILL just by THINKING of them.
Two examples for those seeking hardcore sadness (more would cost me man-points):
Toy Story 3: The finale and the holding-hands sequence.
Grave of the Fireflies: Almost any sequence from that movie. I highly recommend it (Studio Ghibli!!! Makers of Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away and Nausicaa). Just be sure to bring a box of Kleenex and hide all sharp objects before viewing.
I have intentionally forced myself to cry just for this effect. I basically have always thought of it as washing all those conflicting chemicals out of the brain to give it a soft reset.
I’m fluid in tears AND swears (depends on the situation, though, and I will totally swear in public, but I don’t like to cry there.) I think it’s definitely a cultural thing, too. There are other cultures where passionate, emotional men are considered completely normal. Dudes out there, try crying once in awhile!
It was the culmination of over two years of the universe curbstomping me, everything from winding up homeless for a while, moving cross country twice, being unable to find a job, and all this being topped off by having to search for my dad’s grave for 90 minutes because the cemetery’s idea of “perpetual care” is ignoring the landscaping till all the grave markers vanish.
This all resulting in a 45 minute long meltdown that I can’t remember…
I may have tried to burn down the church…
SurlyQueen
I’m really sorry to hear that you had to endure all that. I hope you are in a better place these days.
21 thoughts on “#652 Catharsis”
Ale-8-One-Ohmu
I dunno.
This guy tried something like that once when I was stressed/depressed. I will admit, the catharsis of crying was emotionally effective, trading feeling stressed for feeling drained.
I’d better warn all the “real” guys out there (as I am one), experiment CAREFULLY. Like every other medicine or drug, know your limitations. The hard stuff can have serious consequences if you can’t handle it. I laughed at Titanic. I was mellow through melodramas. I can even smile through Old Yeller now (though not in 4th grade, I will admit). I thought I was tough.
But there are some things out there that have left me shaken, to the point I, a former jock, can pull up actual TEARS AT WILL just by THINKING of them.
Two examples for those seeking hardcore sadness (more would cost me man-points):
Toy Story 3: The finale and the holding-hands sequence.
Grave of the Fireflies: Almost any sequence from that movie. I highly recommend it (Studio Ghibli!!! Makers of Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away and Nausicaa). Just be sure to bring a box of Kleenex and hide all sharp objects before viewing.
SurlyQueen
Oh man, I LOST it at the end of Toy Story 3.
Like, openly weeping in the theatre while sitting between my husband and my younger brother.
And yeah, the drained feeling can suck sometimes, but, personally, it always feels like relief after a bunch of pent up stress.
Humph
Tom Smith, A boy and his frog. Always, ALWAYS, gets me.
Tacomain
I have intentionally forced myself to cry just for this effect. I basically have always thought of it as washing all those conflicting chemicals out of the brain to give it a soft reset.
SurlyQueen
That’s a cool way of looking at it!
Lex-Kat
I like that.
naleta
I have noticed that many guys will swear, where women cry. Cultural gender thing, maybe?
SurlyQueen
I’m fluid in tears AND swears (depends on the situation, though, and I will totally swear in public, but I don’t like to cry there.) I think it’s definitely a cultural thing, too. There are other cultures where passionate, emotional men are considered completely normal. Dudes out there, try crying once in awhile!
Valron
As a guy, I TOTALLY to exactly that. Sad music and a good cry are wonderful stress relief, especially for depression.
SurlyQueen
Awesome!
Everybody should be able to cry without being shamed for it, and I’m glad it helps you.
man in black
Yes we don’t
DannyboyO1
Am male. Have done this.
SurlyQueen
I think more people should!
sep332
I thought going for a walk was a guy’s replacement for this. Stand up, walk away, get some fresh air, good to go in <5 minutes.
SurlyQueen
Could be, we all handle stress differently ^_^
I use different methods for different types of stress, and light exercise is a good one, too. But sometimes crying is just what I need.
monkshandgames
I tend to stress yell at the stupid subcontractors who are 90% the cause of my stress.
SurlyQueen
Seems legit.
Marrock
Some of us just bottle it all up for years until we have a Chernobyl-like meltdown in the cemetery while visiting our father’s grave…
SurlyQueen
Aw, man. That’s rough. I imagine that graves are common sites for cathartic weeping.
Marrock
It was the culmination of over two years of the universe curbstomping me, everything from winding up homeless for a while, moving cross country twice, being unable to find a job, and all this being topped off by having to search for my dad’s grave for 90 minutes because the cemetery’s idea of “perpetual care” is ignoring the landscaping till all the grave markers vanish.
This all resulting in a 45 minute long meltdown that I can’t remember…
I may have tried to burn down the church…
SurlyQueen
I’m really sorry to hear that you had to endure all that. I hope you are in a better place these days.
Follow Me