# Do people really cry when watching sad shows?



## Noir (Jun 20, 2014)

I keep seeing comments about how much people cry watching/reading/listening to X. I have never, ever cried while watching something. Is this real or are people only doing it for drama, as a sign of respect?


----------



## Grandmaster Yoda (Jan 18, 2014)

They do but that doesn't invalidate it's foreigness.


----------



## Cosmic Hobo (Feb 7, 2013)

I've cried twice when watching television: _I, Claudius_, and "Curtain" (the last episode of _Poirot_). Both involved the deaths of major characters (with whom in some way I identified?), and came at the end of the series - 11 hours of Clau-Clau, and twenty-odd years of reading Christie and watching Suchet. In general, though, I don't weep quietly into the cathode ray tubes.


----------



## TheProphetLaLa (Aug 18, 2014)

LOL. Yes. I am one of the criers you speak of. I just get so caught up in the movie. I feel like its happening to me!!!


----------



## Millie (Nov 22, 2014)

Some things make me wanna tear up if something fucked up happens in a show and I imagine the characters' suffering and the fact that it's a reflection of something that happens to actual people - also fuzzy feel good stuff gets me that way too. I don't let anyone see me do it though, or I choke it down and try to focus on something else.


----------



## Cheveyo (Nov 19, 2010)

I was watching Kimi ni Todoke yesterday and started tearing up. I had forgotten about that anime's feels.


----------



## astral_shamaness (Jan 30, 2015)

Lately I was in 'crying mood' and I cried watching "How to train your dragon 2" xD


----------



## Volant (Oct 5, 2013)

I don't usually cry when watching films/TV shows; I have a tendency to think, "Ok, well here they're really upping the emotional factor and trying to get get viewers to connect with the characters, who are simply actors/actresses reciting lines they memorized and are getting paid big bucks for it."

I'm more likely to tear up at the ends of books (I guess where I can let my imagination wander), especially ones in which someone dies/sacrifice himself to save everybody else, etc. Sad stuff, man.


----------



## Endless Rainbows (Oct 1, 2014)

But Bambi's mother..... Noooooo!!!... 

And Dumbo's Mom getting locked up...

I could go on and on and yes, I cry easily. Not drama but empathy.


----------



## Volant (Oct 5, 2013)

Endless Rainbows said:


> But Bambi's mother..... Noooooo!!!...
> 
> And Dumbo's Mom getting locked up...
> 
> I could go on and on and yes, I cry easily. Not drama but empathy.


No, not Bambi's and Dumbo's moms! o_o I forgot about those. Also, Charlotte's death in the 1970s animated _Charlotte's Web_. And Littlefoot's mother's death in T_he Land Before Time_ series. And 

Ok...so maybe I am more affected by films' sad moments than I thought. XD But I think if the movie overdoes it or tries too hard to make me sad, I don't get teary-eyed.


----------



## astral_shamaness (Jan 30, 2015)

Volant said:


> No, not Bambi's and Dumbo's moms! o_o I forgot about those. Also, Charlotte's death in the 1970s animated _Charlotte's Web_. And Littlefoot's mother's death in _The Land Before Time_ series.


But Lion's King was the worst, when Mufasa dies :sad:


----------



## Volant (Oct 5, 2013)

astral_shamaness said:


> But Lion's King was the worst, when Mufasa dies :sad:


Hmm, I don't think I was so much sad that Mufasa died as much as I wanted justice done to Scar (if that makes any sense). But that's just my personal experience; I know a lot of people say that Mufasa's death was very moving.


----------



## astral_shamaness (Jan 30, 2015)

Volant said:


> Hmm, I don't think I was so much sad that Mufasa died as much as I wanted justice done to Scar (if that makes any sense). But that's just my personal experience; I know a lot of people say that Mufasa's death was very moving.


I always liked Scar! And most of villains in animated movies  But my cousin, who was in cinema at Lion's King as a child cried for the rest of the movie after Mufasa's death. There were Timon and Pumba and it was funny, but she kept crying xD


----------



## Endless Rainbows (Oct 1, 2014)

Volant said:


> No, not Bambi's and Dumbo's moms! o_o I forgot about those. Also, Charlotte's death in the 1970s animated _Charlotte's Web_. And Littlefoot's mother's death in _The Land Before Time_ series.
> 
> Ok...so maybe I am more affected by films' sad moments than I thought. XD But I think if the movie overdoes it or tries too hard to make me sad, I don't get teary-eyed.


OMG, Charlotte's death (I cried reading the book and watching the movie) and Littlefoot's mother's death . . . and let's not forget Mufasa . . . OK, now I'm really sad. 

This is true. I know I'm being emotionally manipulated but when done well, it just delivers a punch to the gut. I think it's time to revisit some of these movies.

Surprisingly I did not cry watching "The Theory of Everything" although alot of reviewers said it had them bawling. Maybe I'm growing a tougher shell. Huzzah.


----------



## Noir (Jun 20, 2014)

From what I notice, most people that cry/ responded so far are Fe users.
I am positive I use inferior Fi. When reading/watching something I do not easily get sad. However, when I do, I get more depressed than have a break down. Sometimes I feel this sadness is bitter than the one where you cry.


----------



## Sourpuss (Aug 9, 2014)

There are a few scenes in some films that can move me to tears, but only if nobody else is present.


----------



## VinnieBob (Mar 24, 2014)

I cry like a menstruating bitch


----------



## Nein (Oct 15, 2014)

I only cry if there is something I can relate to myself in a negative way.

There is this feeling of loss, though, in which there is no crying, it just feels as if a part of me died. It only happened once, but it has never quite passed.


----------



## He's a Superhero! (May 1, 2013)

I don't think I've ever cried while watching a TV show, but I have cried with a couple of movies in the past - notably "The Pianist".


----------



## marbleous (Feb 21, 2014)

I cried once listening to the song lyrics, "And I think to myself, 'What a wonderful world.'" The words combined with the contemplative and realizing essence reminded me of all of the wonderful things that are in my life.

I tear up at weddings to witness the strong love families and partners have for each other. Makes me feel joy that people share my cause.

I tear up at father/daughter movies because it reminds me of all of the selfless, loving, hard-working things my dad has done for me. It reminds me of how he wants to hear me talk on the phone even for hours and never yawns, never zones out, always listens with full attention. It reminds me of how he lets me talk to him at work, how he answers my calls during meetings. It reminds me of how he overcame his past behavior and how it affected me, and changed to where he is now.

Hope this gives you some insight. People find reminders of struggles and triumphs in life that makes them cry.


----------



## Clyme (Jul 17, 2014)

Noir said:


> I keep seeing comments about how much people cry watching/reading/listening to X. I have never, ever cried while watching something. Is this real or are people only doing it for drama, as a sign of respect?


I've cried while watching or listening to X, but never reading X. Yes, it happens, and I'm not sure how common it is. I'm sure a number of things can play into this, but I'm sure people are affected more by things that are of a sensitive topic to them. Honestly, anything that connects a person with emotional memories or those sorts of associations have ample ability to induce tears. If you're seeing these messages in status updates though, I'm not sure if people do it for attention, but you'd probably want to evaluate the trends of their posts to have a better judgement of that particular person.


----------



## AriesLilith (Jan 6, 2013)

Add me to the list of crying ones.  I just can't help it, Fe picks up the feels in the scenes and I start to "picture" the whole emotional thing and feel for it. I try not to cry specially when watching the stuffs with someone else, but it's hard to control specially if I perceive something as very sad.


----------



## Wellsy (Oct 24, 2011)

Not too often and it has to really build up to, if its too short lived or too fast to the climax of the scenes it can make me feel a bit sad but not tear up. Typically I only get watery eyes, difficult to get tears flowing right out, last time that happened was to Seven Pounds when I watched it alone.


----------



## 124567 (Feb 12, 2013)

I literally feel what the people feels so yeah I cry a lot. I cry when I see something beautiful too. All kinds of tears :crying: :laughing:


----------



## Lunar Lamp (Sep 21, 2014)

I usually don't cry while watching things. I wish I did, because I do get really into them sometimes, but it just doesn't manifest as tears. 

The Toy Story movies are some of the exceptions. I dunno what it is about them, but they've made me cry multiple times.


----------



## Kavik (Apr 3, 2014)

I used to think the same thing as OP. Then all of a sudden I started tearing up while watching movies and I'm sitting there thinking "wtf why are my eyes watering? Stop that."


----------



## ForestPaix (Aug 30, 2014)

I used to cry a lot watching something sad when I was younger, but now I don't, even if I feel the urge to cry, I won't. 
I think my Mum thinks I'm a bit cold-hearted sometimes, cause she'll be crying over something we're watching and I'm like....okay. If I ever cry because of something I watched, it's mostly because I can feel the pain of what is portrayed.


----------



## ElliCat (May 4, 2014)

Kavik said:


> I used to think the same thing as OP. Then all of a sudden I started tearing up while watching movies and I'm sitting there thinking "wtf why are my eyes watering? Stop that."


EMBRACE THE FEEEEEELSSSSSSS

Fi-dom, always been a crier. My parents still tease me about how 2-year-old me reacted when Babar's mother died. I guess I've always had high levels of empathy. It's not that I don't realise that it's fictional and that I'm being emotionally manipulated... it's more the thought that people probably experience this in reality, and even if it's not that exact scenario, other events can elicit the same kinds of emotions. 

Doesn't usually last long, thank goodness. Most of the time I'm either alone or in a dark enough room that I can let a few tears fall undetected. Gets a bit awkward if I'm caught though. Not that I'm ashamed, exactly, but other people usually don't know how to react and I don't like to make them feel sorry for me, or embarrassed on my behalf. XD


----------



## Kavik (Apr 3, 2014)

ElliCat said:


> EMBRACE THE FEEEEEELSSSSSSS
> 
> Fi-dom, always been a crier. My parents still tease me about how 2-year-old me reacted when Babar's mother died. I guess I've always had high levels of empathy. It's not that I don't realise that it's fictional and that I'm being emotionally manipulated... it's more the thought that people probably experience this in reality, and even if it's not that exact scenario, other events can elicit the same kinds of emotions.
> 
> Doesn't usually last long, thank goodness. Most of the time I'm either alone or in a dark enough room that I can let a few tears fall undetected. Gets a bit awkward if I'm caught though. Not that I'm ashamed, exactly, but other people usually don't know how to react and I don't like to make them feel sorry for me, or embarrassed on my behalf. XD


Well, movies are meant to manipulate your feelings. It has no depth if you can't connect with or get emotionally lost in its world or characters in _some_ way. I'd say a movie that leaves a viewer feeling and thinking nothing is a failure.

Crying around people is always extremely awkward.

It doesn't exactly have to be something sad for me to tear up, though. Most of the time it randomly happens when I see something in a film that's such a high quality mix of music, editing, and story that it just blows my mind with how epic it is.


----------



## Lemxn (Aug 17, 2013)

I am one of those people. Even if I am at the movies with friends, etc. I am ashamed of myself.:laughing:


----------



## Hypnosia (Oct 5, 2014)

It happens to me sometimes and I'm not even a feeler. I'm semi-comfortable with it only in solitude though.
*flees the thread embarrassed*


----------



## Red Panda (Aug 18, 2010)

I do and very easily. I try hard not to when I'm around others, except my boyfriend, then I just use him to sob on.


----------



## Tetsuo Shima (Nov 24, 2014)

Everything makes me cry. Especially then ending of Akira when it reveals how the espers ended up the way that they are.


----------



## Word Dispenser (May 18, 2012)

Occasionally, I'll cry.

I dislike family drama movies. Ugh. They really lay it on thick. It's disgusting. I don't generally cry at _those_.

But, meh. I can find myself even crying happy tears. Maybe those are the most common. 

The _only _time that I can recall crying in a TV show, though.. Recall, mind-- I don't _think _there's been another time...

Was one episode of Supernatural, when Benny sacrificed himself.


----------



## Shahada (Apr 26, 2010)

I'm a big baby. Most recent were the Black Mirror episodes "The Entire History of You" and "Be Right Back." Ripped my heart out


----------



## 68097 (Nov 20, 2013)

Noir said:


> I keep seeing comments about how much people cry watching/reading/listening to X. I have never, ever cried while watching something. Is this real or are people only doing it for drama, as a sign of respect?


It isn't drama. It's real. Fe, man.

Fe sees, Fe reflects.

If I had a dollar for every time entertainment made me weep a tear, I'd be rolling in the dough. Name a show I've watched, and I've probably cried over it at least once. 

They need to stop killing people off, then I could stop crying.


----------



## Noir (Jun 20, 2014)

angelcat said:


> It isn't drama. It's real. Fe, man.
> 
> Fe sees, Fe reflects.
> 
> ...


Wth? :angry: They're characters. I mean, I feel sad for them, but who the heck cries for them? The only tears I like are those of my enemies. Oh well, I guess that is one way I can rule out being an Fe dom.


----------



## conscius (Apr 20, 2010)

Noir said:


> I keep seeing comments about how much people cry watching/reading/listening to X. I have never, ever cried while watching something. Is this real or are people only doing it for drama, as a sign of respect?


In general, women are more likely to cry than men. Also there are other factors, like what kind of day you were having or if you really identified with some character in the movie, or what kind of movies you typically watch. It also depends on what kind of a person you are. One theory about why women cry more is that they're more likely to be nurturing and so they're more likely to sympathize with a character they see on TV. If you don't relate with a person's pain and troubles, less likely to feel emotionally involved and feel the kind of sadness that would make you cry.


----------



## MajTom (Jun 18, 2013)

Meh, I'm a huge crybaby at times. It's easy for me to put myself in someone else's shoes when I try, and that extends to fictional characters. It can be a bit maddening in real life, but when reading/watching works of fiction, it really does deepen the experience. I still maintain that if you can make it through the series finale of *Angel *​with dry eyes, you have no soul

"Would you like me to lie to you now?"


----------



## 68097 (Nov 20, 2013)

MajTom said:


> Meh, I'm a huge crybaby at times. It's easy for me to put myself in someone else's shoes when I try, and that extends to fictional characters. It can be a bit maddening in real life, but when reading/watching works of fiction, it really does deepen the experience. I still maintain that if you can make it through the series finale of *Angel *​with dry eyes, you have no soul
> 
> "Would you like me to lie to you now?"


Man oh man. Joss Whedon _really_ knows how to make me cry. The bastard has done it again and again and again. If it wasn't Buffy and Angel, it was Fred. 

And yes, I'd say OP can rule out using Fe at all. I know INTPs (inferior Fe) who cry over sad things in movies.


----------



## kiwig0ld (Nov 7, 2010)

only the father episode of Fresh Prince.


----------



## jamkleb (Jan 8, 2013)

I cry whenever I watch the Jim/Pam wedding episode. Every. Single. Time. It's not technically "sad" but god, that on screen chemistry tho.


----------



## ZMX (Jul 2, 2012)

I never cried watching stuff until I was 22. It seemed pretty stupid to me before that.


----------



## perpetuallyreticent (Sep 24, 2014)

Only a few times have I really been moved to tears from movies/shows. Two I can immediately think of are The Hobbit BOFTA and The Vampire Diaries.  

But I have to be emotionally invested with the characters. They also have to have enough depth as characters for me to be able to be moved enough to actually _cry_.

Edit: Oh and this one death from The Following. And Tangled gets me teary eyed because of Rapunzel's dad. :/ Tears my soul apart every time.


----------



## Notus Asphodelus (Jan 20, 2015)

It's more out of empathy I guess.. When we see a character going through a hard time, we can't help but feel sorry for the person. Sometimes that feeling is too overwhelming, it acts like a pressure cooker. An involuntary tear might flow. However personally, the tears has rarely made its way down my face. I may get glassy-eyed occasionally, but that's about it.


----------



## Thalassa (Jun 10, 2010)

Yes I do occasionally. One of my exes used to. I think sometimes it's a symbolic empathy, though the play is not real, it likely mirrors similar scenarios in the real world. Other times I think it's a personal catharsis to release ones own feelings.


----------



## Thalassa (Jun 10, 2010)

Noir said:


> From what I notice, most people that cry/ responded so far are Fe users.
> I am positive I use inferior Fi. When reading/watching something I do not easily get sad. However, when I do, I get more depressed than have a break down. Sometimes I feel this sadness is bitter than the one where you cry.


It's probably because your feeling function is inferior, and in less balanced T doms, rejected as useless. I do not think having Fe or Fi matters, though being an F dom likely does.

The main thing I have noticed in some people is a lack of. ..objectivity? ...with their empathy or sympathy. By that I mean some people can't even read a book or watch a movie if they don't identify with the main character, which means they read with very little critical thought, I mean as a literature major you are taught to do this, but even in my teens I could enjoy a film or book and not identify with or even dislike the main character. I would imagine most horror fans have to. But I mean I read the Stranger at 15 and certainly did not identify with the narrator, but still found the book fascinating, enough to read it again in college and write an A+ essay on themes in it. 

I see it on line too, there are people who always or almost always empathize with the OP, not reading or judging critically, or if they don't identify with the OP they "follow" the general response of everyone else responding, like group feeling. I wonder how it is I can be empathetic enough to cry at media, yet still have a better grasp on distance in studying art (or what other people say, when it doesn't relate back to me personally).


----------



## HorribleAesthete (Aug 5, 2010)

Absolutely, though rarely.


----------



## tanstaafl28 (Sep 10, 2012)

Noir said:


> I keep seeing comments about how much people cry watching/reading/listening to X. I have never, ever cried while watching something. Is this real or are people only doing it for drama, as a sign of respect?


Ever watched _Schindler's List_? I was weeping like a baby at the end, and I don't cry easy.

I would like to ask why you _don't cry_ at sad movies? Not that I am saying there is something necessarily _wrong_ with you, but perhaps that is a question you want to ask yourself.


----------



## Noir (Jun 20, 2014)

tanstaafl28 said:


> Ever watched _Schindler's List_? I was weeping like a baby at the end, and I don't cry easy.
> 
> I would like to ask why you _don't cry_ at sad movies? Not that I am saying there is something necessarily _wrong_ with you, but perhaps that is a question you want to ask yourself.


Because I do not feel like it. 
Besides, I find it stupid. They are not real. Even if they are based on real events, I've only known the characters for a few hours. Crying never solves anything and I will not shed tears on entertainment.


----------



## tanstaafl28 (Sep 10, 2012)

Noir said:


> Because I do not feel like it.
> Besides, I find it stupid. They are not real. Even if they are based on real events, I've only known the characters for a few hours. Crying never solves anything and I will not shed tears on entertainment.


I see your point, but I ask you, does everything you do have to be a solution to something? 

I wonder what the genetic implications of crying are. From an evolutionary standpoint, everything we do has some sort of purpose, does it not? What about crying makes it a candidate for replication in terms of natural selection?


----------



## phoenix_9 (Nov 22, 2014)

The end of Saving Private Ryan tears me up every time....about earning it and all....arghh. 

Have cried in reading several Stephen King books from deaths of major characters-that man can write some characters, I tell you.

Generally, I'll cry at anything that tugs my heart...it's tender.


----------



## Noir (Jun 20, 2014)

tanstaafl28 said:


> I see your point, but I ask you, does everything you do have to be a solution to something?
> 
> I wonder what the genetic implications of crying are. From an evolutionary standpoint, everything we do has some sort of survival purpose, does it not? What about crying makes it a candidate for replication in terms of natural selection?


I guess it can serve as a means to discharge emotionally.


----------



## Tetsuo Shima (Nov 24, 2014)

The third Garden Of Sinners movie makes me cry because I relate to Fujino.


----------



## Noir (Jun 20, 2014)

Damn. Is there anyone else that doesn't cry at shows?


----------



## phoenix_9 (Nov 22, 2014)

Noir said:


> Damn. Is there anyone else that doesn't cry at shows?


lol. 

It sounds like-from the post up there-that it's something you've made your mind up not to do-rather than just allowing yourself to relate and feel that emotion.


----------



## Noir (Jun 20, 2014)

phoenix_9 said:


> lol.
> 
> It sounds like-from the post up there-that it's something you've made your mind up not to do-rather than just allowing yourself to relate and feel that emotion.


I see where you're coming from, but I simply don't feel like it. I really doubt that feeling sad and crying is something one has much control over.


----------



## phoenix_9 (Nov 22, 2014)

Noir said:


> I see where you're coming from, but I simply don't feel like it. I really doubt that feeling sad and crying is something one has much control over.


Eh that maybe true with some things-like human relationships (real life)....but I think you _can _decide to give zero fucks, however....about fiction.


----------



## lucia4 (Sep 5, 2014)

Noir said:


> I keep seeing comments about how much people cry watching/reading/listening to X. I have never, ever cried while watching something. Is this real or are people only doing it for drama, as a sign of respect?


Ironically, I just finished watched American Horror Story: Asylum (again) one hour ago, and I had to cry uncontrollably during Sister Jude's final scenes. I kinda laid down a bit so my father couldn't see I was crying, but I think he noticed because later he mentioned the scene made him choke up, too. And it wasn't "oh my eyes are getting kinda wet"; my mouth was shaking uncontrollably and tears were streaming down my face. I barely managed to keep muted.

If a series or movie is actually good, it will make me tear up at least. Gin Gwai, The Flowers of War, Sucker Punch, etc.

But in general, beauty or a sad ending for a beloved character (that I might relate to) can make me emotional.


----------



## cherry branches (Jan 17, 2014)

Noir said:


> I see where you're coming from, but I simply don't feel like it. I really doubt that feeling sad and crying is something one has much control over.


I am INFP. I agree with Noir here. If you can't _feel_ it, you can't _feel_ it. And on the opposite side, try to tell a feeler who is operating in full blown emotional drowning, to stop being so emotional. People can try to fake their response in a given moment, but how they are inside genuinely in that moment is how they are. 
You can't compel or guilt a person to become overwhelmed with emotion. They may be processing it mentally and have understanding or feelings of empathy, but they may not always be able to tap into the anguish or sweet drippy stuff or be swept away in tears. 

For me, a feeler most of the time, I exhaust myself constantly, fighting back the feeling of drowning in my own emotions. Just to function, I have to almost hardened and deaden myself. It helps me to understand thinkers and how difficult it must be for them to always have to defend their depth of care or the importance of things. 

"why don't you miss meeeeeeeee!!!?" 
"I do miss you" 
"well, i'm dyyyyyyying here and if you missed me you'd be screaming out for me and crying and throwing yourself on the ground LIKE I AM DOINGGGGG!!!!!!!" 
"I can't wait to see you. I miss you"
"Those just sounded like unemotional words right there. I can't do this. I can't feel that you love me"
(I love her. I don't understand why she can't see that)

um, yeah, so i'm just guessing, hypothetically, that we all have our obstacles being who we are and others being able to see us for who we are, movie or no movie.


----------

