Some people say, Never let them see you cry.” I say, if you’re so mad you could just cry, then cry. It terrifies everyone.

This line is attributed to Tina Fey in the context of her comedic advice about power, emotion, and social expectations—especially the familiar maxim that showing tears is a sign of weakness. It is most commonly circulated as a quotation from her humor memoir, where she reflects on workplace dynamics and the performance of confidence. Fey’s framing turns a conventional piece of “toughness” advice on its head: instead of hiding tears to appear controlled, she suggests that visible emotion can disrupt others’ expectations and shift the balance in a tense interaction.

Fey’s joke works by reversing the usual lesson about emotional restraint. The quote implies that vulnerability is not always disempowering; in certain social situations, an unexpected display of emotion can unsettle observers and give the crier a kind of leverage. The humor also critiques gendered norms—women in particular are often told to suppress tears to be taken seriously—by proposing a mischievous alternative: use the taboo strategically. Beneath the punchline is an observation about “scripts” in conflict: when you break the script, you can change how others respond.