Tears Give The Courage To Suffer
It turns out that crying is good for us. There was a great article in Harvard Health Publishing titled “Is Crying Good for you?” (2021). It is a very insightful article and I highly recommend reading it. In Man’s Search for Meaning Viktor Frankl said, “But there was no need to be ashamed of tears, for tears bore witness that a man had the greatest of courage, the courage to suffer. Only very few realized that” (p. 78). Frankl believed that crying is a natural and healthy emotional response, and there is no need to feel ashamed of it.
Furthermore, Frankl saw tears as a genuine expression of our human sensitivity and vulnerability, which can be an important part of the healing process. He emphasized that acknowledging and expressing our feelings, including crying, allows us to confront and process pain, suffering, or joy authentically. In Frankl’s view, suppressing tears or emotions might hinder personal growth and resilience, whereas embracing them fosters a deeper understanding of oneself and can provide emotional relief.
I have spoken often about how we used to cry when I was leading the turnaround of schools. Almost every day someone was crying. I mention this in Fireside Chats. For those teachers, and myself, it truly had the affect Frankl spoke of. That time spent crying together, allowed us to confront and process pain, suffering, or joy authentically. We needed that emotional outpouring.
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