Ever smile while crying inside?

[Neytiri.]

I do it everyday, can anyone relate?

[Layzie]

Simple but deep statement.

I have, not often though. To be honest I kinda think when you cry inside but try to hide it with a smile, it actally feels worse than being sad with no attempt to hide it (or physical cry). To hide sadness with happiness takes too much energy (in my opinion) and I just don't have it in me.

[Human No More]

Definitely.

I hate it when you really can't explain what you feel to someone, so you just hide it.

[Banefull]

I do this perhaps way more than is healthy for me. Not necessarily a smile, but I always do my best to keep face and display that nothing is wrong even to the extent of faking happiness in front of others if I feel that they would be troubled to see me otherwise.

[Neytiri.]

Originally Posted by Banefull

I do this perhaps way more than is healthy for me. Not necessarily a smile, but I always do my best to keep face and display that nothing is wrong even to the extent of faking happiness in front of others if I feel that they would be troubled to see me otherwise.

Exactly, I do that nearly everyday, to everyone. It's extremely draining, It'd be nice if i didn't have to but I do...

FML

[Human No More]

I do it all the time with people IRL... because my motivation, how I get 'happiness' is different. Because sadly, many people I know think that there's something wrong with showing too much of yourself.

[Woodsprite]

Happens all the time w/me.

[Helicoradian]

I could never hide sadness with a smile. Kinda like Layzie said, it just takes to much out of you

I'd just do what I normally do...show no outward emotion and let it pile up on the inside

[Neytiri.]

Originally Posted by Helicoradian

I could never hide sadness with a smile. Kinda like Layzie said, it just takes to much out of you

I'd just do what I normally do...show no outward emotion and let it pile up on the inside

Yeah i do basically that, i just exchange no outward emotion for smiles so everyone thinks i'm great, I've found that the more i smile the more happy my brothers are and its basically i chain reaction, I do my best to keep everyone around me happy, Maybe its stupid but at least there happy

[Advent]

Very often thing that.

[electrosphere11]

No, I hate crying. I don't usually let people see me cry. I'll hold it in until I'm alone or something and then do whatever.

[electrosphere11]

Wait, I read that wrong, I guess that is the same.

[Stanley_9875]

I do it a lot. I'll be depressed about something, but don't want to show it to my parents for fear of them asking or making them feel like its their fault, so I reply with "I'm good" and whatever, but inside I just feel like curling up and sobbing. I do that a lot with others as well, people from work, school, ect.

I've been a bit better lately, but I still feel the need for the (as I call it) smiling mask

[Marvellous Chester]

Sometimes. In England it is widely regarded as bad to show too much emotion and crying is somewhat 'frowned' (can't think of a better word) upon. I smile while others are around and then when I'm alone I can cry and show how I really feel

I don't really have anybody that I can show emotion in front of without feeling as though I'm being judged. It is why I loved AF and ToS so much.

[Human No More]

Originally Posted by Tarnished Soul

Sometimes. In England it is widely regarded as bad to show too much emotion and crying is somewhat 'frowned' (can't think of a better word) upon. I smile while others are around and then when I'm alone I can cry and show how I really feel

I don't really have anybody that I can show emotion in front of without feeling as though I'm being judged. It is why I loved AF and ToS so much.

Sad but true... it's the same everywhere though, what annoys me is that it's worse if you're male, people expect you not to show anything, to pretend things don't affect you

Originally Posted by Fkeu'itan

Wearing that "happy mask" so that I don't ever have to expose my deeper, more sensitive side to anyone who will abuse it, belittle it, or - something that hurts the most - misundersand it. Keeping it locked away when in public is just that much easier for everyone concerned.

Plus, I suffer with the whole "It's not ok to cry" thing as well. As a taller, larger built person, and especially in this country where the "look at how big you are, you should be a rugby player or a boxer or something" mentality is rife, it's hard to just feel and be yourself without getting the feeling that you're being silently ridiculed by everyone you speak to. People on the street, people at work, even your friends and family... That you're somehow letting them down. Letting yourself down for not being the strong person you should be...

Same here... my friends IRL, I would never want to show that to... I don't feel like I'd be letting them down so much, but I know that I'm expected to feel that way, and that if I did, people react... badly. They'd be hostile, they would deep down think 'I wish I could do that'... but they wouldn't let that show either

I don't have any really close friends other than here, my closest AFK friend, I've known for a bit over a year, I really couldn't tell him anything about how I really feel... it's ironic, we even share some thoughts which in a few cases I would never have thought to talk to him about, which he's actually mentioned (like looking for real love as opposed to just some random...), but there's still so much deep feeling I could never bring up, things I've shared here because I really trust everyone, but I never could to anyone without a shared experience like Avatar.

Like many others, ToS and a few other members here as a whole are my sanctuary, the few people that I can actually talk to deeply about what I feel on an almost daily basis, and i'm truly, truly greatful for this, but as you Gunny, I wish for someone who can relate to the way my mind works in real life.

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