# How do you make yourself cry? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 15, 2001, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-make-yourself-cry/54561 "2001-02-15T06:03:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ressl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Ressl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ressl)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2001, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-make-yourself-cry/54561/1 "2001-02-15T06:03:43Z")
I would greatly appriciate any help/tips/links on making yourself cry. I’ve had some trouble finding anything on the net that can be that helpful. It’s doesn’t exactly protrain to acting so please don’t refer any “getting in character” guides. -Thanks -Mike ---
**Author:** ![likearock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a4c791/32.png) [@likearock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/likearock)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2001, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-make-yourself-cry/54561/2 "2001-02-15T06:28:57Z")
For actual tears, you could try a bit of menthol oil on the nose right by the eye. Using care to avoid contact with the eye, of course. ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2001, 6:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-make-yourself-cry/54561/3 "2001-02-15T06:34:21Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by likearock \* > \*\*For actual tears, you could try a bit of menthol oil on the nose right by the eye. Using care to avoid contact with the eye, of course. \*\* That’s a good way. A quick and dirty method is to bop yourself in the nose. I assume you’re talking about actually changing your emotion and really crying. i suggest the library or a book store. Check some books on acting techniques. I’ll bet learning to cry is one of the first skills trained actors learn. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Ryan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7feea3/32.png) [@The\_Ryan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Ryan)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2001, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-make-yourself-cry/54561/4 "2001-02-15T06:36:01Z")
Are you the baby Jesus? If so, you could try to make yourself cry by cursing at people. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Ice\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2001, 6:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-make-yourself-cry/54561/5 "2001-02-15T06:57:04Z")
How to cry? Think about what you’ll pay in taxes this year. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![dasmoocher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dbc845/32.png) [@dasmoocher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dasmoocher)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2001, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-make-yourself-cry/54561/6 "2001-02-15T06:58:11Z")
Not that your post made any sense, but now I know why people dislike you Ryan, or is it THE Ryan? I was wondering what the BBQ thread was all about. Now I see it. You’re obviously on a different level than the rest of us–for better or worse. Given your character–you will now insult me for being stupid. Carry on. ---
**Author:** ![Ashtar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc29f/32.png) [@Ashtar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ashtar)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2001, 7:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-make-yourself-cry/54561/7 "2001-02-15T07:07:52Z")
This one’s easy. After I finish my invariable screaming as I awake from my slumber, realizing where I am and why I’m there, I just lie there and wait for the feelings of despair to kick in. –wait–this might not help make -you- cry. But we can speak for ourselves, can’t we? ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2001, 7:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-make-yourself-cry/54561/8 "2001-02-15T07:47:39Z")
Similar to what **pkbites** suggested, yanking a couple of nose hairs always causes my eyes to water up nicely. YMMV, but one bonus is that my nose also begins to run, producing a good weepy appearance. Just out of curiosity, why do you need to make yourself cry? –sublight. ---
**Author:** ![Badtz\_Maru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e36b37/32.png) [@Badtz\_Maru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Badtz_Maru)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2001, 8:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-make-yourself-cry/54561/9 "2001-02-15T08:06:32Z")
I have the ability to make my eyes water without using emotional techniques, which is pretty redundant as I can make myself cry for real by thinking of any number of things. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2001, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-make-yourself-cry/54561/10 "2001-02-16T02:40:22Z")
Chopping onions doesn’t do it for you? ---
**Author:** ![Road\_Rash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a8b319/32.png) [@Road\_Rash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Road_Rash)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2001, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-make-yourself-cry/54561/11 "2001-02-16T03:28:14Z")
Rubbing lemon’s just under the eyes. Some actors do that. Of course with practice, you could just bawl like Jimmy Swaggart and make some big bucks, or just have a good parlor trick. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2001, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-make-yourself-cry/54561/12 "2001-02-16T03:42:03Z")
Reading about every _tenth_ post to the SDMB. It usually turns on the faucets. I weep for humanity. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2001, 7:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-make-yourself-cry/54561/13 "2001-02-16T07:14:20Z")
[Moderator watch ON] **647** , let me make something clear to you. We do not have any rule here at the SDMB that a post must make sense. We do, however, have a rule about personal insults. Specifically, they are not allowed anywhere but the BBQ Pit. You knew that there was already a BBQ Pit thread about **The Ryan** , so you certainly could have posted your comment there. You wouldn’t even have needed to start a new thread. Instead, you chose to violate our rules and insult him in GQ. Do not so choose again. [Moderator watch OFF] Personally, I didn’t get it either, but I suspect that it’s a literary reference, probably to a song. Presumably, when **The Ryan** next sees this thread, he’ll mention what it’s from, and then you and I will both understand it, and a little bit of ignorance will have been iradicated. ---
**Author:** ![Sue\_Duhnym](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/91b2a8/32.png) [@Sue\_Duhnym](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sue_Duhnym)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2001, 8:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-make-yourself-cry/54561/14 "2001-02-16T08:26:47Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Sublight \* > \*\*Similar to what **pkbites** suggested, yanking a couple of nose hairs always causes my eyes to water up nicely. > \*\* And don’t forget to use needle nose pliers. ---
**Author:** ![jb\_farley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9d8465/32.png) [@jb\_farley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jb_farley)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2001, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-make-yourself-cry/54561/15 "2001-02-20T17:10:39Z")
acting-wise, I’ve found that it helps to **not** make yourself cry. Just think of a time when you were really sad (or happy- that works for me). Really dwell on it, turn it over in your head. Some people I’ve acted with say that thinking of a sad thing while forcing yourself to not be sad works (kinda akin to laughing extra hard when you know you shouldn’t laugh). But while you’re doing this, fake it. Wrack your breathing, shake your shoulders. It helps. And if the tears don’t come, you still look like you are crying. If this is for an acting gig, remember that lack of tears won’t hurt a good emotional performance, and real tears won’t save bad histrionics. Alternatively, you could not let yourself blink for a while. This is a good backup. jb ---
**Author:** ![jb\_farley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9d8465/32.png) [@jb\_farley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jb_farley)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2001, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-make-yourself-cry/54561/16 "2001-02-20T18:14:44Z")
Oh, and for **The Ryan** , since he’s not popped in yet. Have you ever heard Todd Flanders say “Lies make baby Jesus cry” right before Homer pulls an evil T-1000 with his golf clubs? Same thing. Cursing at people makes baby Jesus cry. If you are baby Jesus, and you curse at someone, you will cry. I thought it was funny, in a dopey way. Chill on the righteous indignation there, 647. jb ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2001, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-make-yourself-cry/54561/17 "2001-02-20T20:42:46Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by jb\_farley \* > \*\* > Alternatively, you could not let yourself blink for a while. This is a good backup. > jb \*\* Mini-hijack: I have noticed while watching television actors reciting their lines that most-times they will not blink (“crying” aside). Is this a taught acting technique? Quasi ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2001, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-make-yourself-cry/54561/18 "2001-02-20T23:02:12Z")
> [@](#): > > I have noticed while watching television actors reciting their lines that most-times they will not blink (“crying” aside). Is this a taught acting technique? I have a BFA in Acting from a rather prestigious arts school. Reduced blinking is not specifically an acting technique, so much as it is a means of remaining open to the camera. Most actors do this consciously or unconsciously, while some do not (famously, Hugh Grant). By the way, while crying is not specifically “taught” as hypothesized by **pkbites,** we do “flex our emotional muscles” so as to maintain general emotional accessibility, whether to sadness or joy. I know, I know, it sounds really weird, but after you actually do it for a while it makes sense. Re the OP: I know a number of ways actors can make themselves cry. It would be helpful if I knew the context, i.e. the situation and reasons, so I can offer useful suggestions. Is this just something you want to know how to do so you can get out of traffic tickets? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![dasmoocher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dbc845/32.png) [@dasmoocher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dasmoocher)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2001, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-make-yourself-cry/54561/19 "2001-02-21T01:50:22Z")
Fair enough, Chronos (and jb), my bad. Everyone is a jerk every once in a while; I’ll keep my jerkdom in the BBQ Pit from now on. If Ryan was referencing the Simpsons, that’s actually a pretty good quote. More info would have helped me get it, though. ---
**Author:** ![dasmoocher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dbc845/32.png) [@dasmoocher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dasmoocher)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2001, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-make-yourself-cry/54561/20 "2001-02-21T01:57:30Z")
Fair enough, Chronos (and jb), my bad. Everyone is a jerk every once in a while; I’ll keep my jerkdom in the BBQ Pit from now on. If Ryan was referencing the Simpsons, that’s actually a pretty good quote. More info would have helped me get it, though.