As children, both boys and girls express their emotions through crying. However, boys quickly learn from their peers in elementary school, and sometimes from their parents, that they should not cry. By middle school, the rules governing public display of emotion are ingrained in most young men and they begin to learn other ways to express emotions. Girls, on the other hand, feel less constraints on their ability to express emotions and may cry publicly at least through high school. An adult crying in public attracts attention, but more so when the crier is male.
Most people are extremely uncomfortable around a man who is crying.
Because it is a rare event, it is assumed that very strong emotions have caused the man to cry, and that these emotions result from events that the average person, especially one not intimately connected to the individual, cannot effectively manage. It is more natural for a woman to cry in public, but it is not always appropriate, especially in the workplace. Therefore, in order to be successful in the work environment typical for most women scientists, women are well-advised to control their natural tendency to cry in response to emotions. While this may be unfair, it is important to remember that men, in similar situations, are also struggling to control their emotions. Men are just less likely to be suppressing tears.