Have you ever cried on purpose to gain sympathy, or win an argument?

[Screenwriter]

The ONE time I cried on purpose was when I was 7 and my shot DIDN'T hurt. I knew if I cried, my mom would get me a book or lunch or something. It worked. She was very kind. But even at THAT young age, I realized what I'd done wasn't quite right. The only time I cry now is at sad movies or when I really feel deep emotions. Faking ANYTHING is plain wrong, whether it's tears, orgasms or joy.
Once you fake it, you'll become a less genuine and human person. Be real, in all cases. It'll do you proud.

[Anonymous]

It was a genuine cry but I exaggerated the crying by being MORE LOUD because of trapped frustration and anger but honestly I wanted to express all the abuse, neglect, gaslighting and criticism my mother did to me since the childhood.

[weasley8]

Not to win an argument. I did it once in mock trial to gain sympathy though. But that was just acting and everyone knew it was. I was playing a thirteen year old, and the attorney doing cross examination was basically trying to imply that it was my character’s fault that her father attempted to have her mother murdered. He wasn’t a great crossing attorney. So I didn’t say what he wanted, and he just kept pushing the issue, and not getting anywhere.


My attorney kept objecting that he was asking the same questions, which he was, but the judge was trying to at least give him a chance so she kept denying the objections. And I got sick of the questions, and the crossing attorney kept getting more and more explicit about what he was implying with his questions. So I just pretended to get super emotional and started ranting about how I didn’t want to get in trouble and I didn’t want my parents to split up etc etc, and crying, and hyperventilating. And the crossing attorney didn’t know how to respond to that. So he ended the cross immediately. And I got a ton of points.


It’s not a good argument tactic. I only did it because I was acting, and playing a child who had been through a lot. Apparently it was more convincing than I thought too. Because the people on my team kept asking if I was okay afterward.

[CaptainOverthink]

I have never.
But I saw someone try to manipulate me like that once.
I was attending a rave summer of 2017. There was a girl crying in the crowd, so I went up to her to try and find out what was wrong or if there was anything I could do.
As soon as I started talking to her she flipped to super happy in an instant. It was obviously a trap. So since I couldn't be of any real help but felt tricked and manipulated I decided this was an immidiate red flag and went back to dancing at which point she started following me around and cut in all the time. After a few hours she stopped.

It sure did partly work though, she got my attention by crying. But as soon as it was clear it was a tactic then I guess it didn't go as planned for her.
I ain't putting up with that shit. Be real or fck off.

[Vencam]

Once, as a child (about 7 or 8)
Itbwas the first day of school, and I just moved to that region so it was also my first day in that school. The teacher thought (I can't figure out why, now) to start the day by telling everyone that one of the janitors died during the summer, so we wouldn't see her anymore. Everybody stared bawling their eyes out and I felt so out of place I thought I had to be crying too (such fine child logic...) and started imagining the death of people close to me to bring myself to tears (it worked). I don't know if that actually helped me socializing there in the long run, but now it works for me as an example of how kids can be twisted in their behavior sometimes...

[Lliam]

I never did it to manipulate a girlfriend.

I just had a flashback, though. I got my driver's license when I was 16. The first time I drove my parents car solo, I pulled up to a stop sign and wanted to see what it would be like to floor the accelerator. I did it as I turned left onto the cross street. The tires screeched and the rear of the car drifted through the turn. It was a thrill to experience what a car could do.

Part way down the street was a cop who saw everything. I passed him going the other way. I wasn't speeding. But he turned around and pulled me over.
When he came up to my window, I begged him not to give me a ticket and turned on the tears. I said my parents would kill me. The young cop was kind of disgusted with me. He gave me a stern lecture but didn't give me a ticket. I was just around the corner from my house and I had only had my license for a couple days. He also probably wanted to spare me from punishment or abuse from my parents.

[jgokgotit]

I have never done this but it has been done to me. My last ex was a drama queen when she did not get her way. Before I had an issue with my Sergeant, I had decided to reenlist in the Navy (I was at a joint command). When I broke the news to her, she started arguing about why I should just leave the military and move with her when she graduates college. I was able to get her to see why I wanted to reenlist and she seemed ok with it. The next day, I receive my orders, which would have taken me to Japan had I been able to stay in. When she saw that, she started crying. She almost had me convinced the tears were real until I went to use the bathroom. I noticed the crying stopped. When I stepped out, the tears magically came back. I called her out on it and she tried to slap me. I just walked away and went back to base.

[Anonymous]

yes I did, as I recall one time with my father. my brother had hurt me by breaking one of my projects, one of many and he was often a trouble maker. There is no equality of power so I cried to get sympathy, but that doesn't work.

Better learn to stand up and fight for yourself or take crap cause that is life and there isn't fairness. sooner realize that the better. It's a natural world.

Read Trumps book about how his one son cheated the other, who complained to dad and Trump said "don't trust anyone"! there ya go.

[Anonymous]

I did at work to manipulate a situation. An asshole of a customer put in a complaint about me to my manager. He said I was rudeto him, which I was because he was an racist asshole. But he lied , and made me out to be worse than I actually was to him. When my boss called me into the office, I knew she wouldn't side with me. She wanted me to sign a formal piece of paper regarding his complaint and that she'd spoken to me about it. No way was I gonna put my signature to the paper. So i pretended I was upset and forced some tears out. I pretended I couldn't breath as well because of was his lies and the situation causing me anxiety. Which it wasn't really. I gained her sympathy , so she ended up overlooking the incident. My boss is very vindictive if you get on the wrong side of her. But I know how to manipluate her to my advantage. I only really do that with people who are assholes

[btbc92]

It's hard for me to really say. I've been through so much abuse it's hard for me to even remember if I ever did or not. Is extremely possible. But if I cry, I cry because I'm really hurt. I don't see what the point of pretending and I don't see what the point of manipulating others. If people don't care about you they don't care. If they don't know what to do they don't know what to do. But person that doesn't care about you whether you fake it or not probably says a lot about them.

[KingdomForAKiss]

I probably tried it as a child, then realized it wouldn't get me anywhere.
Faint til your needs are met? That's something else!

[Grond21]

I haven't done it. I don't think I could even if I wanted to. Crying on command is not a skill I possess.

I believe I have seen it but I am not positive. The person I have seen it from is one I now question the authenticity of everything she does, as it has become clear she is a master manipulator.

[Jamie05rhs]

No. That's weak a f.

(Though I have used "I" statements at certain times when I felt like telling someone off but I just wanted to be polite and I didn't want to make them feel bad. And that feels kind of weak sometimes.)

[lilyanony1]

I'd like to say I've never done this but I'm not entirely sure I think out of fear and frustration I've cried but I don't think I've actively told myself to cry, and been able to. I'm not that good an actress

[Don-__-Don]

My conscious wouldn't allow me to do something so petty, I find crying on purpose to gain sympathy as a weak tatic in getting what you want. That just sounds like something a damsel in distress might do.

Furthermore, crying itself isn't what's going to have a person gaining my sympathy, it's what a person is actually going through that will have me give my sympathy.

[serious]

That is the sign of weak people. Mentally weak and also manipulative people.

I am confident in my own ways and I have lots of self respect and so I have never done anything like that. Never.

[ohshee]

No and the sad part about that is there is a real cry and a fake cry and for me I lose respect for a person who takes it that far to get what they want

[heatherlj01]

I hate to say it but yes, several times when I was younger I used this tactic. It seems to work very well on men I know that sounds so horrible

[Imcmullan]

I've had this done to me but my bullshit meter is too good.. Im like a human lie detector, it's a blessing n a curse.

[Anpu23]

I've never done this, but certainly know people who have. One friend in particular was quick with the waterworks to try and get anything. Watched her use it to get out of a speeding ticket.

[Jackblue]

No, I can't fake tears they are spontaneous. Additionally for a guy, you don't win an argument by crying you lose it. If you had an argument with another guy making the other man cry is like the ultimate victory.

[Celtero]

Probably... but I think it's a subconscious thing, you know? You don't plan something like that and I know I can't summon tears whenever I want.