--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Why does a man cry? he wondered. Not like…" description: "\"Why does a man cry? he wondered. Not like a woman; not for that. Not for sentiment. A man cries over the loss of something, something alive. A man can ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d8/philip-k-dick-502_alive_why-does-a-man-cry-he-wondered-not-like_53679.jpg" --- # Why does a man cry? he wondered. Not like a woman; not for… ![“Why does a man cry? he wondered. Not like a woman; not for that. Not for sentiment. A man cries over the loss of something, something alive. A man can cry over a sick animal that he knows won't make it. The death of a child: a man can cry for that. But not because things are sad. A man, he…” quote by Philip K. Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d8/philip-k-dick-502_alive_why-does-a-man-cry-he-wondered-not-like_53679.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d8/philip-k-dick-502_alive_why-does-a-man-cry-he-wondered-not-like_53679.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d8/philip-k-dick-502_alive_why-does-a-man-cry-he-wondered-not-like_53679.jpg) > “Why does a man cry? he wondered. Not like a woman; not for that. Not for sentiment. A man cries over the loss of something, something alive. A man can cry over a sick animal that he knows won't make it. The death of a child: a man can cry for that. But not because things are sad. A man, he thought, cries not for the future or the past but for the present.” [Philip K. Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-dick/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A man’s tears stem from immediate, tangible loss rather than abstract sadness, highlighting a concrete emotional response to present suffering. **In simple terms:** Crying reflects present loss, not future or past sorrow. Key Takeaway Emotion is rooted in immediate reality. Themes Grief Masculinity Presence Loss Empathy Mood Reflective Somber Type Philosophical Observational When to use this quote - Witnessing a pet's death - Seeing a child suffer - Experiencing a sudden tragedy Key Concepts Human vulnerability Attachment Temporal focus Practical Applications - Therapeutic counseling - Narrative writing Questions to Reflect On - What does this view suggest about societal expectations of male emotion? - How might focusing on present loss change coping strategies? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Alive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alive/) [Animal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animal/) [Boys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/boys/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Cry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cry/) [Loss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/loss/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past/) [Sentiment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sentiment/) [Sentiments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sentiments/) ## Related quotes > [“The first sentiment of man was that of his existence, his first care that of preserving it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/the-first-sentiment-of-man-was-that-of-his-existence-his-first-care/) [Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/) > [We must relearn how to cry. A strong man cries; it is the weak man who holds back his tears.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/archie-fire-lame-deer/we-must-relearn-how-to-cry-a-strong-man-cries-it-is-the-weak-man-who/) [Archie Fire Lame Deer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/archie-fire-lame-deer/) > [He's that guy who doesn't think its weak when he cries in front of his lady. Yes he's a man and cries, so what;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josephine/he-s-that-guy-who-doesn-t-think-its-weak-when-he-cries-in-front-of/) [Josephine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josephine/) > [When a Spanish man cries it's not a sign of weakness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geraldo-rivera/when-a-spanish-man-cries-it-s-not-a-sign-of-weakness/) [Geraldo Rivera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geraldo-rivera/) > [I'm a sucker for a man who cries. It just gets to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/queen-latifah/i-m-a-sucker-for-a-man-who-cries-it-just-gets-to-me/) [Queen Latifah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/queen-latifah/) > [Men hate to cry, they rarely ever do. But when a man cries over you, I can guarantee he loves you. Because men only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/men-hate-to-cry-they-rarely-ever-do-but-when-a-man-cries-over-you-i/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [One man cries as the other laughs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-miller/one-man-cries-as-the-other-laughs/) Joshua Miller > [“A real man cries. A man that does not cry is a man who is trying to either impress others on the fake strength…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-g-ortiz/a-real-man-cries-a-man-that-does-not-cry-is-a-man-who-is-trying-to/) [Kenneth G. Ortiz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-g-ortiz/) > [Man cries, his tears dry up and run out. So he becomes a devil, reduced to a monster.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/man-cries-his-tears-dry-up-and-run-out-so-he-becomes-a-devil-reduced/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The most beautiful thing to see in a man is when he cries.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophie-parkin/the-most-beautiful-thing-to-see-in-a-man-is-when-he-cries/) [Sophie Parkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophie-parkin/) > [When a woman cries it changes nothing or dews things.but when a man cries it changes alot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bakre-basit-babatunde/when-a-woman-cries-it-changes-nothing-or-dews-things-but-when-a-man/) [Bakre Basit Babatunde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bakre-basit-babatunde/) > [I like grit, I like love and death, I'm tired of irony. ... A lot of good fiction is sentimental. ... The novelist who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-harrison/i-like-grit-i-like-love-and-death-i-m-tired-of-irony-a-lot-of-good/) [Jim Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-harrison/) > [ANTIPATHY, n. The sentiment inspired by one's friend's friend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/antipathy-n-the-sentiment-inspired-by-one-s-friend-s-friend/) [Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/) > [A lost love. Deny it who will, ridicule it, treat it as mere imagination and sentiment, the thing is and will be; and women…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dinah-maria-murlock-craik/a-lost-love-deny-it-who-will-ridicule-it-treat-it-as-mere-imagination/) [Dinah Maria Murlock Craik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dinah-maria-murlock-craik/) > [Sentiment is the mightiest force in civilization; not sentimentality, but sentiment. Women will bring this into politics. Home, sweet home, is as powerful on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-ellen-foster/sentiment-is-the-mightiest-force-in-civilization-not-sentimentality/) [Judith Ellen Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-ellen-foster/) ## More by Philip K. Dick > [So we and our elaborately evolving computers may meet each other halfway. Someday a human being, named perhaps Fred White, may shoot a robot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-dick/so-we-and-our-elaborately-evolving-computers-may-meet-each-other/) [Philip K. Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-dick/) > [Even if all life on our planet is destroyed, there must be other life somewhere which we know nothing of. It is impossible that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-dick/even-if-all-life-on-our-planet-is-destroyed-there-must-be-other-life/) [Philip K. 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Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-dick/) > [You're killing yourself with cynicism. Your idols got taken away from you one by one and now you have nothing to give your love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-dick/you-re-killing-yourself-with-cynicism-your-idols-got-taken-away-from/) [Philip K. Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-dick/) > [What scared me the most was when my father would put on the gasmask. His face would disappear... This was not a human being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-dick/what-scared-me-the-most-was-when-my-father-would-put-on-the-gasmask/) [Philip K. Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-dick/) > [“A man is an angel that has become deranged, Joe Fernwright thought. Once they – all of them – had been genuine angels, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-dick/a-man-is-an-angel-that-has-become-deranged-joe-fernwright-thought/) [Philip K. Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-dick/) > [“When do I see a photograph, when a reflection?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-dick/when-do-i-see-a-photograph-when-a-reflection/) [Philip K. Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-dick/) > [My major preoccupation is the question, 'What is reality?'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-dick/my-major-preoccupation-is-the-question-what-is-reality/) [Philip K. Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-dick/) > [“One of the most effective forms of industrial or military sabotage limits itself to damage that can never be thoroughly proven - or even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-dick/one-of-the-most-effective-forms-of-industrial-or-military-sabotage/) [Philip K. Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-dick/) [Explore all 489 Philip K. Dick quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-dick/) ## More Alive quotes > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [I feel very grateful to be alive and well enough to make music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-ant/i-feel-very-grateful-to-be-alive-and-well-enough-to-make-music/) Adam Ant > [I don't crave applause. I'm not one of those guys who comes alive on stage. I'm much more alive at home, I think.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/i-don-t-crave-applause-i-m-not-one-of-those-guys-who-comes-alive-on/) [David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/) > [We must master our egoism, and through this mastery, step outside ourselves and educate ourselves in giving. 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