The Power of Tears

Crying, both natural and necessary, carries an extremely complex emotional and cultural stigma. There’s been much discussion about embracing children’s tears, which is already a significant step forward. Today, thanks to advances in research and positive education, we understand that denying the right to cry and access emotions impacts the fundamental healthy development of a human being.

Children, who are still learning, in their early stages of development, have no prior understanding of certain sensations; these feelings are new, albeit unpleasant — hence the crying. That’s why they need support, so they can access and process the emotions they are experiencing, attempting to understand and associate the new sensation with the situation that caused it, thus beginning to form emotional patterns.

Being supported during such a vulnerable moment is a privilege, as it enables these children, over time, to develop emotional intelligence through this process of recognizing and naming emotions. This foundation is essential, as it allows them to identify their feelings and manage their reactions in a more balanced way, cultivating self-confidence and resilience.

We, kids from the '90s, grew up hearing things like, “You don’t need to cry over that; you’re strong,” “You can stop crying now,” and “You’re too big to be crying.” We learned the rule: repress the tears. And now, as adults, crying is often seen as weakness, a lack of control, or even as “attention-seeking.” When I cry in public, I get judgmental looks, as if saying, “This isn’t the place to cry,” or “Here you go, crying again.” Society often sends the message that crying is INAPPROPRIATE when, in reality, it’s a natural response of the body. When you see someone crying—especially a stranger or someone you don’t know well—you likely have no idea what’s behind those tears. You can only imagine, and even then, you’re probably far from the truth. And the fact is, it doesn’t matter.

When I feel the need to cry, especially as someone with ADHD, I often don’t immediately understand which emotion I’m experiencing. In those moments, I need to let the emotion flow freely so I can gain clarity—a little less murkiness in the whirlwind of feelings.

Of course, children in their developmental stages need more support due to their limited ability to regulate emotions. However, crying is a natural form of emotional self-regulation. It’s not harmful to me or anyone else, so there shouldn’t be a problem with letting me cry in public and release my emotions, right? For me, crying is an essential tool.

That’s why we need to normalize crying among adults as well. We should recognize it as a natural, healthy, and necessary human response—a form of expression, a way to recognize one’s own limits, to give shape to what we can’t always put into words. It takes courage to embrace our own tears, and even more, to embrace the tears of others without judgment. It’s an exercise in empathy and humanity. So how about we practice empathy for ourselves and for others the next time we see someone crying around us? Crying is natural and necessary l — let's honor the flow of our bodies and embrace it as one: mentally, emotionally, and physically.