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I believe that people cry for different reasons.

I feel like crying when I feel upset, nostalgic or I think something is exceedingly beautiful (e.g. a work of art). Crying is the body's way of releasing emotion in a healthy way. Since the free expression of one's emotion is not a negative occurance or an unhealthy one, people shouldn't question others who are more emotional than themselves. Different strokes for different folks, huh?

I agree with your brother; it doesn't matter why you are crying. As long as the crier knows the reason, that should be sufficient.

i think its a kind of distress call for when someone is in pain.

One of the things I find most depressing about society is the stigma that's been attached to crying, or displaying emotions in general. As if showing emotion suddenly makes you vunerable and weak compared to everyone else.

There's absolutely nothing wrong with showing how you feel, and may in fact be healthier for you, mentally and emotionally, if not physically.

I think it was from this stand against mainstream culture that the "emo" phase got its start, trying to get people back to showing emotion, the most obvious being pain and sadness. I'm sort of with these guys, but it's good to show when you're happy and enthusiastic about stuff as well.

I haven't cried in a very long time, and I can tell you for sure that it's not that great. Crying is a form of release, relieving lots of built up tension and distress. Thanks to social conditioning, I've been building up tension and distress for a few years now. There have been many times I desparately wanted to cry, but found myself physically incapable of doing so. It's my hope that I'll figure something out soon, otherwise I'm afraid I may suffer some sort of nervous breakdown.

I tend to be extremely emotional. Or, rather, I cry at the drop of a hat. Unless it's an ugly hat. Then I laugh. Wow, I'm sorry. Not enough sleep on top of cake makes for strangeness. But, anyways, I have no problem with crying in public. On my part or anyone elses. But then, with the whole steriotype surrounding females--that we're extremely emotional--it's easier for me. I have to say that I couldn't survive as a guy...I'd get seriously tormented.

i cry if im sad or depressed. or if im really happy or something has awed me (depending on what it is).
i agree with your brother and cybergothika. you dont neccessarily need to know why he is crying. if he is crying, then he must think//know that he has good reason to cry. and if it doesnt involve you, he may not want to open up about it.

i cry when i want to. i can hold it in if im in public. when im on my own i can sort of switch it on and off when i need to

crying is a healthy way of letting out your emotions. the reason some people cry more than others is because they may be more emotionally sensitive. they might cry about something that another person wouldn't find the least bit sad. in that regard, people who rarely cry aren't unhealthy unless they refuse to cry and build up the bad emotions.