Women who cry are seen as weak, so men who cry must be even weaker, right? In today's modern world, we are supposed to have it all. Shedding tears is for sissies. Women compete in a man's world, and crying in the work place is a definite no-no. It can cost a girl a promotion and even her job. There are good reasons that we cry, however, and we should not hold back when the tears start to flow.

Crying has emotional and physical benefits. It releases stress and helps clear out our deepest, unmet and undiscovered emotional needs. Crying is our body's way of asking us to pay attention to something that needs to be fixed. It is a signal that we are having stress in our life that we need to eliminate. Tears have a chemical makeup that is different when the tears are shed from emotional stress, fear or happiness.

Scientists have studied and discovered the unique chemical composition of tears that come from different emotions. Men and women both cry, but girls' cries are different from the guys. One reason is that girls have larger tear glands and more hormones. Women can cry hard, from all out sobs to quiet weeping. Men might shed only a tear or two, or just have red eyes. Crying in both men and women has the same effect, however.

Contrary to popular belief, most people don't get upset or judge when others cry. They feel sympathy and empathy toward the person who is crying. Tears are a signal of neediness and serve as a prompt to get others to help you if they can. The next time you or your loved one tries to hold back tears, encourage the crying that relieves stress and clears the emotional strain of unresolved problems. Crying is not just for sissies. Those tears have a purpose, and we need to let them go.