mmalabanan
Why do men cry less than women? Even in the most heartbreaking and agonizing circumstances, most men would remain dry-eyed while women weep.
While it’s still unusual for most cultures to see men crying publicly, there’s a science that actually explains why men tend to shed fewer tears compared to women.
According to the book, Emotional Expression and Health written by researchers at Tilburg University in the Netherlands in 2004, women cry up to five times more than men do, typically dozens of times every year. Moreover, the authors claim that the time men spend crying usually lasts two to three minutes on the average compared to women who weep six minutes on the average.
This may have a biological basis as women have higher levels of the hormone prolactin, which is involved in breastfeeding, that may cause them to burst into tears. In contrast, men have higher testosterone levels, which may inhibit tears. A 1998 study published in the journal Cornea revealed that premenopausal women with lower levels of prolactin and higher levels of testosterone tend to shed fewer tears.
Moreover, a 1960s study published in the American Journal of Physical Anthropology found that women have shallower and shorter tear ducts that may possibly result to more visible tears.
Still, the cry triggers among men and women were found to be the same. Based on a Kleenex survey, 74% of men cry due to a death of a loved one. Breakups, tearjerker movies, and even happy moments may trigger waterworks among men.
