London: Once renowned for their stiff upper lip and steadfast courage in the world, modern British men no longer hold the status, suggests a recent study.
Conducted on 2,000 men, the research commissioned by Universal Channel found that modern men are twice as likely to cry in public as their fathers, the Independent reported.
The study showed that middle aged men cry in front of other people an average of 14 different times during their adult life, while for the generation above, men reported that they have only ever done so on 5 occasions.
British men are not only crying more frequently and more openly, but also about more trivial thing. The survey also found that nearly 8 in 10 of the respondents have cried during an emotional television programme.
Psychologist Donna Dawson said that even though today's society is more approving of public tears, there is still a lurking fear in many of us that the people witnessing it will make fun of us.
Dawson added, "Fictional TV shows are more likely to elicit tears because they allow a more pure, universal expression of grief- an emotional 'unloading'- which is not tainted by the conflicting emotions of guilt, regret, confusion and anger that often accompany specific real-life situations. Conflicting emotions can stop or inhibit us from crying over a situation."
