Damien goes all personal on the ass of Someday's Dreamers and shares this practice:

No other anime has yet caused me that sort of distress again, mainly because since then, I have been actively avoiding any anime which is supposed to “make you cry”.

Unfortunately, I think he's only bidding his time, because, if Someday's Dreamers caught him flat-footed, just about anything can. Heck, I cried for Lucky Star (I don't remember exactly where, I think it was during the ghost visit). And then again, Azumanga.

With that in mind, I still avoid uncomfortable anime too, and often it takes ugly forms. Dennou Coil is sitting abandoned in the middle of the sleepover episode because I sensed a turn to the worse during the preparations for the duel.

This is why I always give people a strange look when they tell me that my refusal to watch sad anime (or, to be specific, sad parts of anime) means that I am “missing out”. Better for me to miss out on an outstanding anime, I feel, than to lose hours or days of my life in catatonia.

They have no idea, so of course they think that he's missing out. For most people the balance is calibrated differently.

I found myself willing to trade to a certain extent, if something uncommonly fascinating is offered, e.g. ef (which, so far, turned out to be a risk well worth taking; not that I'm suggesting it to Damien or anything -- just reporting).