While millions watched the ball roll at the 2006 World Cup, researchers discovered that public perception of men crying has changed significantly.
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| Portuguese player Cristiano Ronaldo cries whenever he loses a match (Photo: theage.com.au) |
However, the image of players crying after a loss, such as Cristiano Ronaldo from Portugal, is still not highly regarded. Instead, a face trying to suppress emotions, with a single tear rolling down the cheek, is seen as a sign of true masculine strength.
Psychologists studied nearly 300 people and found that a man crying in the face of tremendous sadness is rated more positively than a woman sobbing.
“Some emotional expressions that were previously deemed unacceptable for men are now completely acceptable,” said Professor Stephanie Shields, who led the study. It was previously believed that men who cry are too sensitive and weak.
Shields explained that public perceptions have profoundly changed following tragic events like the September 11 terror attacks, the Dunblane school shooting, and the death of Princess Diana. In all these cases, strong men were seen crying in public.
“Our research shows that your tears are evaluated based on three things,” Shields from the University of Pennsylvania stated.
“The first is what you are crying about. If it is something extremely significant, like the loss of a loved one, that is meaningful because it is something you cannot control.”
“The second thing is how you cry. The image of tears and snot running down your face is still rated more negatively than having teary eyes, which shows that emotions are bubbling up but you still maintain control.”
“The third factor is the man himself. We found that in truly serious situations where everyone is crying, the advantage goes to the men. People tend to believe that if a man is shedding tears, it must be very significant.”
It is no surprise that tears of anger or resentment do not garner public sympathy.
M.T
