"Ne t'excuse pas de pleurer Sans cette émotion nous ne sommes que des robots"

Crying is something deeply human. When someone says that we shouldn't apologize for it, it's a reminder that emotions are what make us who we are. Think about a robot—cold, calculated, with no feelings. Now picture yourself feeling a wave of sadness or joy. Those tears that come from your eyes are what set you apart from being a machine. It’s okay to let those feelings out.

Historically, there’s often been a stigma around showing emotions, especially crying. In many cultures, people are taught to suppress this as a sign of weakness. However, crying is a universal human experience—one that signifies we're alive and capable of deep feelings. This quote likely emerged in response to that societal pressure to be stoic and unemotional.

Take a moment to think about a funeral. Picture it clearly: someone standing at the podium, struggling to speak through their tears. They might feel the need to apologize for breaking down, as if their sorrow is an inconvenience. But really, those tears are a testament to how much the person who passed away meant to them. Their crying isn’t something to be sorry for; it’s a pure, unfiltered expression of grief and love. We'll never truly understand the depth of our connections without such raw, visible emotions.

If you want to embrace this wisdom in your own life, start by letting yourself feel without judgment. When you feel the tears coming on, don't push them away. If you're with someone else who starts to cry, offer them comfort instead of making them feel embarrassed. By accepting our own tears and those of others, we create space for genuine emotional experiences. It makes us more empathetic and connected.

Imagine you’re at a graduation ceremony. You see a parent in the audience wiping away tears. They lock eyes with their child walking across the stage and you can see the pride and happiness in their tears. It’s a beautiful moment. Now imagine if that parent felt the need to apologize or hide their tears. The moment would lose some of its magic, its authenticity.

A good friend of mine once shared a story about a tough time when they were feeling overwhelmed with work and personal issues. They were sitting in a coffee shop, trying to hold it all together, when it just became too much and they started to cry. They were worried about what others might think. But instead of judgment, they received kindness—a stranger handed them a tissue, and the barista gave them a free coffee and a few kind words. In that moment, their tears connected them to people around them in a way that being stoic never could have.

So next time you feel that lump in your throat or your eyes welling up, let the tears flow. Don’t apologize. It's these moments that remind us we’re more than robots; we’re living, breathing, feeling human beings.