19 Things That Make Guys Cry

If you've ever wondered what makes guys cry, the folks over at Reddit posed the question to the entire community. The results are actually surprising.

1. As we get older, our parents have more of an emotional effect on us than ever before.

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"Seeing my dad cry. Seeing your dad cry is one of the saddest things ever."

2. Becoming a parent yourself, though, changes everything.

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"Previously, nothing. I honestly am just a super detached, super jaded person. Now? My daughter.

"For me, having my daughter has wrecked my whole shit emotionally.

"I just look at her and think about all the terrible garbage out there that she will have to go through, and I cry.

"When I come home, she yells 'DADA!' And runs over to me and SMACKS into my chest with a big bear hug. I cry.

"At night when she is tired, she walks over to me, throws her arms up and says 'up pleeez, up pleeez' then she points to the couch, and we cuddle while we listen to music. And I cry.

"I'm telling you, having a daughter has made me the biggest baby ever."

3. Not giving up on a loved one as they struggle through getting better can bring out the emotion in anyone.

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"After our engagement, my fiance suffered an episode that required forceful commitment into a psychiatric facility. We'd been dating for two years, and though I knew she had some history, there hadn't been any events before that to indicate the severity of her situation.

"We've been married for 13 years now. I've [had] to forcefully commit her into psychiatric care seven times. The most recent was after the birth of our daughter. She couldn't understand why she was being taken away from her.

"Every time this happens, I feel a guilt and shame that I cannot put into words, no matter how long I search for them. It is a feeling so integral with identifying who you are as a person that you believe yourself to be truly wretched. But worse than that feeling is the feeling of loss and despair that you may not be reunited with the person you love.

"I've cried every time."

4. We've been conditioned to think that women are the ones in relationships that cry, but guys do too whether it's good or bad.

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"The last 3 times I cried in chronological order were when my dad died, when I left my girlfriend at her college after visiting her for a vacation, and when that same girlfriend broke up with me. On a long enough timeline where we would still be together, I would have proposed to her. She taught me the most valuable lesson I've ever learned the hard way, which is that you can only control your life and your feelings. You can't control other people's lives or how they feel, no matter how hard you try (and believe me, I tried). You'll never fill that gap but believe me when I say you can find other joys in your life instead."

5. As man's best friend gets on in years, it gets increasingly difficult to hold it all together.

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"My dog is getting old. Her back legs are slowly starting to give. She still happy as ever, but seeing her time get closer and closer starts the waterworks."

6. But sometimes, the little things make us cry, too.

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"Onions."

7. Like touching movies...

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"Literally every animated movie from Pixar or Disney."

8. TV shows, too.

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"That god damn Futurama episode with the dog. It's so beautifully made, it makes a man so proud as myself weep like a baby that just had its toy taken away. Seriously, if I ever met the writer of that episode, I would have nothing but respect and praise for him. And that song at the end, tying together all the emotion built up throughout the episode. Listening to that song is equivalent to chopping onions while using eye-drops made of battery acid."

Here's that scene from Futurama, in case you were wondering.

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9. Movies + dogs = forget about it!

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"According to my wife, I have the emotional range of a rock. However, any sort of dog related sadness gets me every damn time. Even the scene in I Am Legend where the dog turned got me. Saw an article today about some assholes drove to a gas station, let their dog out of the vehicle and drove off while the dog followed and chased trying to get back. Almost made me breakdown at work.

"And it's not all animals, just dogs. I don't cry during funerals or any other sad times. Just when something bad happens to a dog...those feels."

10. Or when you go to check your account and it's not a pay week. :'(

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11. Nature also has a huge impact.

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"Funerals and the Grand Canyon."

12. Being able to enjoy the little things is something we take for granted.

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"When I see a lonely old person enjoying something simple. It's like, they've lived for decades, maybe they're widowed and have no one close to them and not that much money, and they take pleasure in something simple that's a luxury to them. I don't know why, but it makes me a little sad in a kind sympathetic way and I hope nothing ruins those moments of enjoyment."

13. When our parents are far away, alone, and we can't be there for them.

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"Thinking about my dad all alone on Father's Day in his tiny, basic apartment so far away."

14. The element of surprise coupled with someone returning home after a long time away always start the waterworks.

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"Videos of soldiers coming home from war and surprising their young kids."

15. Just divorce, period.

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"As a teacher, I cried when one of my best students came to me in private — bursting into tears as he stood there — to say his parents were getting a divorce.

"He said that the yelling, anger, and abusive language at home was so overwhelming that he was afraid to go back there after school.

"The way he relayed all this, coupled [with] his obvious distress (physically shaking) brought tears to my eyes, as well. He's the nicest kid — and I'm going to do my part to help him, and support him in whatever way possible."

16. The struggle of dealing with a debilitating disease, especially when it's someone you love.

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"Every time I talk to my Alzheimer's-ridden mother and she doesn't remember me."

17. When our heroes dedicate impressive feats to their loved ones.

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"Watching Chris Paul Score 61 points for his grandfather and then proceed to cry."

18. Music has the power to bring out a range of emotions.

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