Board Thread:General Discussion/@comment-27677820-20160307211045/@comment-27701762-20160307230414

I'm sure some people do. Others don't.

I think the ultimate question for whether the story impacted you is less "did tears stream down your face," and more "did you feel any sense of sadness as these events are being described or taking place?" If the basic assumption is that people both feel and express emotions differently, then there simply cannot be a "one size fits all" reaction. Sadness for me may be an empty feeling in my stomach, whereas for you it might be your eyes tearing up a bit, whereas for a third person it might be outright bawling, and for a fourth person it might be a solemn reflection.

So maybe it is unrealistic to want to cry. Perhaps your desire is based on what you think is the proper expression of an emotion you've already felt. Maybe instead you should simply accept that the way you express your emotions is...well...the way you express your emotions. The dichotomy, after all, is not between crying and not crying. It's between empathizing with the character and not empathizing with them. So feeling and not feeling.