this post was submitted on 05 Jun 2025
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I’m asking as I’m trying to understand empathy and whether it’s normal to get so invested in fake characters, I mean it’s probably a testament to the writers but I overthink… a lot.

This question was bright on as I’ve been catching up on The Blacklist and at lunch today watching Season 8 Episode name “Anne “ and it wrecked me.

Tap for spoilerBasically the main character Red has to live a guarded life and for once he let it form and got close to Anne and you could tell shit was going to go downhill and it destroyed me when you think about it from his or her perspective.

For reference I’m 41 year old dude, not that it matters.

Edit: Bedtime for me but back tomorrow to reply to all.

Edit 2: I’ve got 41 comments to respond to. Currently working but I’ll be back y’all.

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My first time crying at a movie was a little while after I started HRT. It was Into The Spider-Verse. Dad Morales tells his son "I love you, but you don't have to say it back."

That movie is a trans allegory fr

[–] JakenVeina@lemm.ee 3 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (1 children)

Me for sure. Every so often, I'll pull something up just for the sake of some tears.

My go-tos include (in no particular order):

  • Avengers: Endgame
  • The Fellowship of the Ring
  • Patch Adams
  • The Deathly Hallows (Part 2)
  • Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood
  • Avatar: The Last Airbender
  • The Owl House
  • House MD (Season 4 finale)

Probably some more I'm not thinking of, at the moment.

[–] Binturong@lemmy.ca 2 points 2 weeks ago

Shoutout to this LIST! 100% certain I've been unable to contain my emotions watching all of these. To me that's a marker for quality, so props on your good taste!

[–] raltoid@lemmy.world 3 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

While some lie about it or try to deny or even suppress it, most people have at least a few scenes that make them cry.

Pretty sure I could make a few people tear up by just quoting a single line:

Here Lies Philip J. Fry, named for his uncle, to carry on his spirit.

[–] nutsack@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

if i get triggered i will have a full body cry that lasts an hour and ill just be sitting there in the seat after the lights come on soaked in tears unable to move it's really embarrassing thanks pixar you fucking asshole

[–] Typewar@infosec.pub 3 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

I don't know about you, but I feel sad watching the grass cutter robots just.. cut grass all day. Do you think the robot even wants to do it? The program forces it to cut grass. It's cruel

[–] Zorque@lemmy.world 3 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Have you seen the Love, Death, and Robots episode Zima Blue?

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[–] SayJess@lemmy.blahaj.zone 3 points 2 weeks ago

I cry so often when I watch movies. It sometimes feels pathetic 😅

[–] Fletcher@lemmy.today 3 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

I cry (or at least feel a very strong impulse to cry) from good stories all the time. If the stories you're partaking of aren't making you feel something, then I feel as though they're a waste of time and not really well written.

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[–] lime@feddit.nu 3 points 2 weeks ago

bro i cry at chords.

[–] Jimmycakes@lemmy.world 3 points 2 weeks ago

Crying is normal. You're a normal dude 👍

[–] houstoneulers@lemmy.world 3 points 2 weeks ago

Yea man, count me in as shedding the occasional tear due to story drama

When it's good, certainly. We gotta grab whatever chance we have to feel things intensely, unless the moment doesn't call for it, before our time is up and we can't anymore!

[–] Lonewanderer@lemmy.world 2 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

I consider myself a pretty calm, stoic person, but there have been many movies that I couldn't hold back tears. It comes to me when the movie takes an unexpected joyous turn.

[–] FreakinSteve@lemmy.world 1 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

I am wildly stoic (I HAVE to be due to life situations) but I also get teary-eyed at joyous scenarios and depictions of acts of Good.

Over the past 20 years I have noticed that I suddenly get teary and emotional over random thoughts or memories which leads me to believe that I am in great need of therapy but cannot engage in it.

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[–] Baggie@lemmy.zip 2 points 2 weeks ago

All the time, but I think I've just got a lot of emotion that I seldom let out, and that's the only time I can let it out in an appropriate way. I'm not too fussed about it honestly.

[–] FanciestPants@lemmy.world 2 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

The last episode of season 1 of Bojack still draws a few tears. I remember going into that last scene expecting him to cause some shit and have a big showdown with Diane... but then he just quietly asks for some acknowledgement that he can be good. I think it was the unexpected delivery, but also now how that dialog keeps getting set to lofi contemplative music on youtube that continues to make it feel heartbreaking. The latter is my own fault for clicking shit though.

[–] twice_hatch@midwest.social 2 points 2 weeks ago

Yeah. I think it's because there is some big stuff missing in my life and it feels weird to see certain things I want

[–] theherk@lemmy.world 2 points 2 weeks ago

I do. I actually love to cry. I have a playlist on YouTube called Cry, just because I need to feel that sometimes.

I also seem to have some sort of audio-tactile synesthesia, because there are a few exact moments in some music pieces to make my head tingle and my eyes drain like waterfalls. Not even always sad parts and I don’t feel bad. Eyes just start running like the cops are chasing them.

[–] rawn@feddit.org 2 points 2 weeks ago

I get teary eyed, but I rarely cry. "The penguin of my life" was my last big challenge, so mean. Great movie though.

And yes, at some point you really want Red to have his little piece of heaven.

I think I am more open for this since I'm older (40s), when I was young I would've never let myself be that open.

[–] Outdated4134@lemmy.zip 2 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (1 children)

Not usually but after having kids and getting older more things affect me. Certain episodes of Bluey I have to bite my lip through and basically every Pixar movie.

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[–] Appoxo@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 2 weeks ago

Very rarely.

[–] JoeKrogan@lemmy.world 2 points 2 weeks ago

Yes it is normal, that scene in the animated movie up gets me. John Q too.

[–] daggermoon@lemmy.world 2 points 2 weeks ago

Me, alot actually. If your movie made me feel nothing it probably sucked. If it actually managed to make me cry it's probably a pretty good movie.

[–] MissyBee@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 points 2 weeks ago

I rarely cried when watching shows of movies for most of my life.. then I started transitioning and taking estrogen. Now I cry so easily it feels like a joke. But I love it.

[–] rob_t_firefly@lemmy.world 2 points 2 weeks ago

Yep. I'm a reasonably masculine-presenting guy and most good movies or shows will make me tear up at some point, it's a standard occurrence if the story has grabbed me in any satisfying way and brought me on the resulting emotional highs and/or lows.

We joke around about it in my household because my wife is a mostly femme-presenting woman, but she generally doesn't tear up at films or shows while I'm next to her having what old stereotypes would say is the girly reaction. It's not that she isn't experiencing the story as fully or anything, she can be enjoying something just as much as I and the emotional reaction just affects us differently because (gasp!) we're two different people.

[–] embed_me@programming.dev 1 points 2 weeks ago

I don't usually cry during movies. But sometimes later when I'm thinking about it I let out a tear or two. Also I cried during a voyager documentary

[–] MyBrainHurts@lemmy.ca 1 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

It's funny, I was pretty much in your shoes (who cries at imaginary people?) For most things. Then covid hit, something flipped and damn, I'm pretty sure I've had tears in more movies in the last 3 years than the 30 before that.

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Yup, i do this too - my personal highlight was crying at ... Wall-e, when he thinks that Eve died.

I'm over 40, and this started 10 or 15 years ago, when i started to go to therapy a lot more.

But i think it's great to be able to live and feel with imaginary characters, and a sign of empathy.

[–] Ashen44@lemmy.ca 1 points 1 week ago

Used to be I never cried at anything. Ever. Then I started watching the saddest shows I could find specifically for the purpose of making me cry because I figured that wasn't healthy. Now I'm a total crybaby and I gotta admit, I'm happier for it.

I used to be a massive weeb so most of my sad moments are from anime, but if you really want to bawl your eyes out, Violet Evergarden and A Silent Voice are my two go to picks for when I want to absolutely destroy myself.

[–] selkiesidhe@lemm.ee 1 points 2 weeks ago

All the time. I mean, I got misty over Smoke's death scene in Sinners lol

Wanna have sad happy tears? Videos of nervy squervy cats. Poor sweet things trying to live their best lives but have trouble moving! Omg 😭❤️😭

[–] whotookkarl@lemmy.world 1 points 2 weeks ago

Less often with movies/TV/books than music for me, but I'll still tear up to a movie or show sometimes if I don't feel like I'm being beat over the head by the music pushing a feeling than engaged with the story and characters.

[–] gamer@lemm.ee 1 points 2 weeks ago

The only movie that legit made me cry was Seven Pounds with Will Smith. I only saw it once, and I tried real goddamn hard to suppress the tears, but a few leaked out. Luckily, none of the people I watched it with noticed, so my masculinity remained in-tact.

I’m asking as I’m trying to understand empathy and whether it’s normal to get so invested in fake characters,

Fuck yeah it is. It's a beautiful thing to be so moved by something that it brings you to tears (especially art). It's what makes us human: we're not just mindless beasts trying to eat and fuck, we're experiencing life to its fullest.

[–] octobob@lemmy.ml 1 points 2 weeks ago

Very rarely, but I have a few times.

C'mon C'mon starring Joaquin Phoenix and a 12 year old kid made my ball my eyes out.

[–] some_guy 1 points 2 weeks ago

I cry depending on how engaging the story and characters are. Also, depends on what’s going on in my life. After the end of a relationship or loss of a loved one, I might be more sensitive and raw. Similar demographic to you.

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