The suppression of emotions and kindness

Why has the act of showing emotions become taboo? In the society that we live in kindness and other emotions are very strictly suppressed. It is inappropriate for people to show too much personal excitement (too happy with ones own accomplishments, unsportsmanlike), for people to cry in public (overly emotional, over dramatic), and for people to show extreme anger (over reacting, not everyone else's problem) unless of course it is broad casted across the nation on Jerry Springer. Showing a simple act of kindness is also not accepted. One thing we are taught from a very young age is to suppress our emotions, to control ourselves, and not make a scene. Is it because it inconveniences the general public to have to think of your problems rather than their own, or is it because it is embarrassing for those involved? Ultimately it is because in many situations emotions=weakness. The idea that one cannot control him or herself leads to the thought that he or she cannot possibly control any other part of his or her life. I mean if you can't control yourself, then what can you control? Emotions are weakness. Any act of kindness stems from an emotion, so indirectly kindness is weakness. And weakness is unacceptable. As Phillips and Taylor state it, "Living according to our sympathies, we imagine, will weaken or overwhelm us" (4-5). This basically means that if we give in to our emotions and sympathies we will not be able to function in everyday life. It is too easy to get caught up in emotions and consequently not attend to other work. But if people have no emotions at all then what are they? Can people who seemingly have no emotions even be counted as people? Why are emotions suppressed? Because emotions are incredible. How could emotions weaken you if they weren't themselves extremely powerful? The idea of being overwhelmed deeply frightens people. In order to stop this tidal wave of emotions before it even has a chance to begin, we as a society teach our children to suppress our feelings. Tears are weakness, and kindness is vulnerability. On Kindness says, "Kindness is seen either as a cover story or as a failure of nerve. Popular icons of kindness [...] are either worshipped as saints or gleefully unmasked as self-serving hypocrites" (8). It is either one extreme or the other. There is no medium. In this respect people can't just be kind. Why not? In my service learning there is one students who always asks me why I am there, or if I get paid to be there. When I tell him no he gives me a strange look and rolls his eyes; every time. Why is kindness such an anomaly? The idea that people are just kind doesn't seem to make sense in the world that we live in. Many people nowadays are deceitful and have a need to constantly ask why. In society today this lack of trust is understandable. It seems that most people have a hidden agenda that leads to the selfishness associated with certain kindnesses. Many times people benefiting from acts of kindness are, understandably, suspicious. What does this person want from me? What do they get out of this? Why? The idea that certain people are willing to put themselves out and act kindly is amazing to some people. I have friends who would always ask me why I did community service when I wasn't required. I would respond that I enjoyed it. They thought it was ridiculous that I would choose to spend parts of my summer days running around with little kids. I cannot say that by doing community service I was acting selflessly because I enjoyed myself as well, but through the eyes of people around me, I was willingly giving up my free time to do something that had no tangible value to me. Does this mean I am weak? In what sense would this make me weak? Emotions are powerful. One way to strengthen your heart is to help others. Kindness is a powerful act that many people take for granted everyday. What would society be like if we weren't so afraid of weaknesses? If people were encouraged to say what they feel, or to show their emotions, society would be completely different.