The Fault In My Tears: Why It's Okay Not To Cry At A Sad Movie

Recently, I found myself in the movie theater feeling like an outcast. There I was, in between my two friends who were balling their eyes out as I passed the packet of tissues back and forth for them.

When we left the movie theater, my friend jokingly called me emotionless, while my other friend kept asking me if I enjoyed the film at all. I never shed a tear while watching "The Notebook" (cue the "omg really?!?") and now I can add "The Fault in Our Stars" to the list.

"The Fault in Our Stars" is a beautiful love story between two teenagers suffering from cancer. I enjoyed the movie immensely and felt a plethora of emotions, but now I keep asking myself, "What is wrong with my tear ducts?"

The answer is, nothing. I always thought not crying was a good thing; it's a sign of contentment and happiness. It wasn't like I was holding tears back; there were just none at all. Why must we always be questioned about our emotions or lack of?

Instead of explaining why I do not cry at the movies, I am going to explain why it is okay not to cry sometimes:

It's Fiction

Movies, novels and television shows magically transport audiences into many different worlds and situations. As real as it can sometimes feel, it is not reality.

The vulnerability we show and the characters we connect to are not real people in our lives that we must show empathy for; they are paid actors and actresses.

It is okay not to cry for the imaginary life of a character when there are plenty of times in real life when you cried for someone you actually knew or lost.

A Shoulder To Cry On

Since you're not busy crying, you can be someone else's shoulder to cry on. It helps when there is one emotionally stable person in the crowd (or movie theater). This person is able to offer support and can even be a real-life tissue. Really, just use this person's shirt; he or she is insensitive anyway, right?

There Is Such Thing As A "Bad" Cry

There are many positive effects of crying, such as releasing stress, emotion and tension. Crying often helps the person feel better when it's over. However, there is also a "bad" cry, where you can even feel worse than you did after the tears have dried, and who wants that?

There Is Beauty In Sadness

Sometimes the saddest stories have the most to offer. They can teach us about struggle, pain and even hope. At the end of "The Fault in Our Stars," I found myself smiling.

Although the majority of the audience didn't think there was much to smile about, I found several things. The two main characters in the story found plenty to smile about when they were together, and that made me smile.

I focused on the beauty of the characters rather than the things that were out of their control.

Because I'm Happy

Maybe you are having such a good day that nothing can ruin it. Next time someone asks you why you're not crying, smile and simply say it's because you're happy.

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