I don't know what my excuse is for not being able to cry. I remember my mother bursting into tears all the time! My parents had no tolerance for whining and expected us to control ourselves and suck it up when faced with adversity. I don't really remember them forbidding it though. I remember my father used to paddle/spank me until I would wail. That seemed to be when he was satisfied that I was punished enough. I remember refusing to cry just to piss him off more; he would have to stop because of fatigue then. When I left the room I had a really sore *** but still had my dignity. I don't really ever remember my father crying, except maybe at my mother's funeral. I think my no crying motto came from exposure to the neighborhood bullies. If you cried or show fear they would swoop in on you and torment you forever. There was one crier on the our street. I don't know what his mental state is today, but I remember think... that is not going to be me.