Many people claim there is a therapeutic benefit to the act of crying. I happen to agree with them. There have been times in my life where I've indulged in the practice as a way of managing overactive emotion. However, for over a year I haven't shed a single tear. I've been close. I've wanted to. To the popularized layman perspective of Stoicism, the accusation might be that I'm repressing emotion, hiding from things, and presenting a masculine barrier between myself and what I feel.
The reason I've withheld all my tears (and plan to continue doing so) is because I see the act as physically legitimizing my rejection of the reality I'm faced with. I don't claim any special immunity to strong emotion or misfortune. I just don't want the universe seeing me wailing with dissatisfaction with what I've been given. If I dislike what I've been given, I can leave anytime I want. I see crying as being disrespectful to the totality of existence. The choice to withhold tears is a line I've drawn to check any unwarranted emotional responses. Responses that I've been given, at this point, decades to prepare for the oh-so-easily predicted misfortunes life can bring us.
Let's be honest. We know misfortunes can and will come. We know why. Sometimes it's pretty clear when. Given this, it's merely our job to do a little homework and we'll be ready when the test comes. I, for one, am not going to cry because I didn't want to do my homework.
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