I cry when I’m angry, cry when I’m sad, cry when I’m perfectly fine except for an annoying mood disorder. I assure you that while it may make you uncomfortable, it’s mortifying for me and I’d damn well not do it if that were an option. Please have some compassion and realize that not everyone is wired like you.
Finally someone understands. 
I have a pet theory that people of Nordic ancestry like myself are not equipped to deal with emotional outbursts. Are you sure your people weren’t Danish (not actually German)?
I don’t know if I’m really ready to expand my theory to include Germanic peoples as well. That’s a slippery slope right there, I tells ya.
God forbid people in an office should do anything that reminds us they’re, you know, human.
My supervisor doesn’t even believe in eating or peeing. A lot of execs don’t, I guess.
If “because humans do it” is your sole criterion for determining what is appropriate office behavior, I’m glad I don’t work in your place of business.
Just don’t go getting all worked up about it, for Pete’s sake! 
That’s not true. I have a mother and a sister who are borderline personalities. They don’t want to “help it,” and honestly believe that the rest of the world is obliged to share any emotional issues they’re dealing with. Everyone else’s needs take a back seat; if a situation is bad enough to make you want to cry, then it takes precedence over any other situation on the planet. Someone else doesn’t like it, they’re a selfish monster who just wants to make your life a living hell.
Wouldn’t work - Danes are as emotional and lively a people as you can ask for. This particular genetic emotional stuntedness is most commonly found in southern Norway (our very own bible belt), coastal Sweden and isolated pockets north of the arctic circle.
Germans, as we all know, have no sense of humor - perhaps these are related phenomena?
Attention Guys: Please try not to stand in front of the ladies in the office and scratch your balls as though you were putting on a show. Also stop talking about how you are cheating on your pregnant wife with women you meet in bars. That makes me think less of you.
Thank you. That is all.
Do too!
Though I admit it’s largely preoccupied with fart jokes.
My family was from the British Isles and I’m the same way. If it’s not an injury or something where someone is clearly at fault, I just don’t know how to respond. I just stand there feeling bad about not providing sympathy.
I am completely surprised by this thread. I really thought people crying at work or other inappropriate times were upset enough that they believed it was a reasonable behavior at the time. Just like you raise your voice when you want people to know you’re angry, not because you can’t stop it. This idea that it’s an involuntary behavior is baffling to me.
For what it’s worth, I’ve always felt that crying when alone or with friends and family is probably a really effective way to cope with stress and sadness. I’d be happy to cry more if I ever felt the urge. It’s just never occurred to me that it was involuntary for anyone.
So, you’re saying my pet thoery is actually a known fact with a slightly smaller scope? I find this oddly gratifying.
For me, at least, it is incredibly involuntary - and also humiliating. Sort of like having Tourette’s, but with crying instead of shouting “MOTHERFUCKER”. (Not meaning to offend anyone with Tourette’s.) I would LOVE to be able to stop it, and I’ve often told people “I’m sorry, I can’t help this, please ignore it, go on, I’m sorry.”
I’m aware that there are people like Lissner’s family that do it on purpose, to manipulate or try to get a better deal or just because. And knowing that I’m likely being mistaken for one of those makes the humiliation worse, which makes the crying worse, etc etc etc vicious cycle.
oh I believe you and all the other women who said they can’t help themselves sometimes. I’m just truly surprised by it. It’s one of the rare times I’m really completely surprised by something so basic about the opposite sex.
Chalk up another example for that theory. I can’t even handle my own emotional outbursts!:smack:
You may one day! Apparently some tests of hormonal birth control for men have created PMS-like symptoms in test subjects, including crying jags.
I don’t cry often but when I do it’s pretty uncontrollable and embarrassing when it’s in public. Knowing someone’s judging me for it doesn’t really help.
I can only think of two times, I’ve ever seen anyone cry all the places I’ve worked. Both were women. I always assumed that if a woman would cry she’d go to the restroom like on TV
[Jimmy Dugan] “There’s no crying in the office!” [/JD]
Actually I wouldn’t mind it in my workplace. We don’t have crying here. We have uncontrollable giggling.
giggle giggle giggle giggle giggle hee-hee
giggle giggle giggle giggle
tee-hee giggle giggle giggle giggle
giggle giggle giggle giggle hee-hee
giggle giggle giggle giggle
giggle giggle giggle giggle
This goes on pretty much all day, sometimes punctuated by uncontrolled scream-sneezing and moans of ennui.
Crying would make for a nice change.
Why do women seem to cry more than men, though? I really want to know the answer to that.
I am a very, dominant, direct woman. I don’t cry at work. But…
One day, my commission pay was incorrect. My supervisor had docked it for me being late, even though he had agreed that the late day was excusable and wouldn’t count against me. He lied.
I took it to a meeting with him and the big boss and while I was laying out exactly why he shouldn’t be allowed to reduce my commission by 700 freakin’ whole dollars, a horrible thing happened. I felt my voice crack and my eyes water. It was too late. It was happening. I was so disgusted with myself that I appologized for the unprofessionalism and asked that the disregard my entire complaint…sorry to have wasted your time.
I have always wondered since then…what compelled me to cry when I was willing myself not to with all of my strength.