How sound?

[formality hater]

I have come across these lines:
"Asking someone to hold back their tears is as stupid as asking someone glum to cheer up!"
How sound this statement is?(i hope there is no scientific ring to it,for example; your blood vessels dilate if you try not to cry:p )

[Pensive]

"Asking someone to hold back their tears is as stupid as asking someone glum to cheer up!"

I don't fully agree with this - both ideas stated in this one sentence. There are of course times where this situation applies. But then again there are times, when it does wonders. If a person is very gloomy, angry with those around him, thinking nobody cares about him, this sentence alone gives him this feeling that someone is here in this world who cares about him. Someone who doesn't want to see him sad. See how concise this word 'cheer up' is! :p But then there are situations (like I previously mentioned) where it's of no use. So I would say it varies from situation to situation. But this doesn't make it stupid. Of course, it's just my opinion, can be wrong. :)

[formality hater]

You did not say anything about the body of the sentence:"to hold back your tears!"

[Pensive]

You did not say anything about the body of the sentence:"to hold back your tears!"

Well, 'hold back your tears' is a phrase that refers to 'cheer up' (not the same words, but very similar meanings) unless they are 'tears of happiness' and I wouldn't ask anyone to control his/her tears of happiness! :p

[Bakiryu]

It's stupid. If you're glum just somebody telling you to cheer up isn't going to make you do so. same with somebody who is about to cry.

[EAP]

Fairly true.


Well, 'hold back your tears' is a phrase that refers to 'cheer up' (not the same words, but very similar meanings) unless they are 'tears of happiness' and I wouldn't ask anyone to control his/her tears of happiness!

Does not compute.

[Visionary3]

As I believe a person has a right to their true feelings, outside of therapy or a close friendship it seldom happens, and people asking others to choke their true feeling and cheer up annoys the heck out of me. It's rampant, especially with old people. Instead of getting sympathy others say they should be grateful they aren't as bad as some other person who is dying, or died, or whatever.I have to wonder why we haven't learned how to sympathyse with others more. Mourning use to last a year in a family. Now it's a few days off work for a funeral then back to work and to get on with it.