I'm the exact same way. I hate being emotional, but I unfortunately have overactive tear-ducts. Usually the kindest thing someone can do is to ignore it and pretend there's nothing wrong, since that lets me convince myself of the same thing. (Strangers should just ignore me altogether; friends or family members should either ignore me or attempt to tell some funny jokes or unrelated stories that will distract me into cheering up.)UffishThought wrote:Well then, to show the other side, thatonemom, I cry ALL THE TIME, and it annoys me. The thing I would most like to be is invisible when that happens. I don't want to talk it out with a stranger, and I don't usually want to talk it out with a friend, either, because most of the time it's not a big deal. My tear ducts seem to kick in when I'm even thinking about emotion. Usually, what I need most is to be treated like nothing is wrong until I can show my brain "see? There's no emergency here!" and snap out of it. People paying attention to me generally make it worse, and actual sympathy can really bring out the waterworks.
Of course, because I hate crying in public so much, I'll usually try to hide myself in a bathroom or somewhere else with a little more privacy. If someone's sitting out in a hallway crying, that might be a sign that they'd actually like a little attention and comfort. It may be more of a mixed bag if someone's crying at a public computer, but I'd leave them alone.
It definitely varies by person, though I guess there is no lasting harm in checking on someone just in case.
