Readers reply: why do humans cry when they are sad?

It is true that tears can flush out foreign objects from the eyes. What advantage does it have to cry when you are feeling sad or happy? It may be to express extreme emotion. But then, why would someone who is sad cry if there were no others around? David Dobbs
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Readers respond

Do you remember when you were a child crying? Your parents said to you, "Ill give you something to grieve about!" And instead of a beating, they destroyed the housing market. OhIAmSoSadGit

Tears, especially emotional tears, contain stress hormones like cortisol. Therefore, you need to get rid of these hormones. This will help you to calm down. Scientists and researchers have found that crying can help increase immune resilience. It is also important to laugh. Crying can cause the release opioids. This can affect the activity of immune cells and may improve our immune system's effectiveness. It can be seen as a mechanism that protects our bodies from stressors both internal and external. Lady_E

When it comes to why we cry alone I have found that people sometimes don't know how they should respond to others who have cried before them. The display of tears can make it awkward for many. You can feel more free to express your emotions when you are alone. Amy

The human body functions as a functioning chemical production facility. Many triggers can cause a variety of chemical reactions. Many are familiar with adrenaline activating in times of fear, excitement, or dopamine triggering positive feelings of achievement or relief.

The chemical reaction to sadness is also present in crying. There are many differences between crying and lacrimation, which is when tears are produced to clean your eyes or hydrate them. These differences help us understand why we cry.

What are these distinctions? The most important difference is that crying causes leucine enkephalin. It is not easy to describe, so let's call it L.E. For now.

L.E. L.E. is an endogenous opioid-peptide. L.E. is an endogenous opioid peptide. It is similar to morphine and produces the same pleasurable effects.

People feel better when they have a good cry. Nature will take care of your sadness next time you feel sad. It's healthy to cry, and it can feel good. Phoenix Emberson Texas

Lyrebird from Australia, 00:33 Lyrebird perfectly imitates crying baby video

While I understand the cry of a baby for attention, I cannot fathom why I would want to cry when I hear music. Is that how it benefits me? Does it increase my survival chances or not? This article, among other theories, suggests that crying is primarily a social signal that informs others that you are having a problem that you cannot solve. millie422

Perhaps to be supported and comforted. This gives us an evolutionary advantage. Even though we may cry alone, we also often seek out comfort from others. It is a way to inadvertently signal that we need to consider, regardless of whether we share the cause for our distress. MaryVine

I would love to find out the answer to this question and how to turn it off. It is very difficult for me to stop crying. A hospital nurse once told me off for not being strong enough for my mother during my father's death. Although I still feel the need to cry, I wish I could stop it. CantThinkStraight

Human crying is not only triggered by obvious triggers such as grief, stress, or pain, but we also actively seek it out. It is rare that someone hasn't cried while reading a book or watching a movie. It's almost as if we enjoy making ourselves sad for no other reason than it is. It is possible that other animals have the ability cry. But, they are not the only ones who feel the endorphin rush. Monstercat

It is interesting to see how we can cry for different emotions, such as sadness, sorrow, or pride. Mel Brooks, on Desert Island Discs, was able to express this well when he shared with Kirsty Young that Gene Wilder was unemployed at the time he auditioned to Blazing Saddles. When I told him that he had been selected, he wept. He wept even more when I explained how much I had paid for the part.

Before I went to school, I used to cry every morning to try and get sympathy from my family. I didn't get it because I was the headteacher. Yoshiboy

It is difficult to hold back tears when you feel the need to cry. This is an indicator that genuine emotion (as opposed fake) is present. This is evident by the fact that people can cry even when they feel powerful emotions, and it would not be a good idea to pretend to cry in order to deceive others. It is a great way to build social bonds. Someone who is crying can have real emotions that others can respond to. This is a great way to build trust and group cohesion. It is also difficult to convincingly pretend that you are smiling or laughing, even though almost everyone does. Mark_MK

According to research, crying causes your body to release endorphins as well as oxytocin. These natural chemical messengers can help with emotional distress and physical pain. Crying is also a self-soothing behavior. andya2015

Many people respond by referring to crying as an adult. They also note the many situations in which this may be done. It is a result of being an infant that attracts an adult. Many situations can lead to infants crying when they aren't satisfied.

Extreme emotions (of any type) can inadvertently trigger the infant response as an adult. It is at these extremes that we have experienced so far. Therefore, as we age, we shed more tears for the same thing as when we were infants.

Although howling is a sign, the other side effects such as shaking, crying, and even tears are more likely to be caused by the massive amount of hormones required for infants to produce a loud, high-pitched howl. This requires a lot of energy. The infant's body literally throws the kitchen sink at what might, for all its knowledge, be a life-or-death situation.

It makes sense, as the human body can have a variety of unhelpful side effects to its hormonal responses. Tears etc are only a few examples. It doesn't make sense that the infant tears are used to release cortisol. As an infant won't want to be calmed down until an adult fixes the situation, it is vital for its survival to keep it up, if needed.

These side-effects have been adapted into social signals over time. This has prevented them being selected away from evolution. HaveYouFedTheFish

Okay, let's move on to your explanation. Why does the baby cry when he or she wants to attract an adult? Screaming, crying, and sobbing are all acceptable. What does a little liquid in the eyes do? Mark_MK

Babies don't cry tears. They can make all the sounds associated with crying but they don't actually cry until they are several months old. SpoilheapSurfer

Endorphins are overproduced in the brain and cause crying in situations of emotional or physical distress. These natural opiate-like substances are found in various parts of the body and in the brain that mediate stress-based sensations. Endorphins are often lost in tears.

This could also explain why children snorty-snorty cry. They may be trying to calm down by snorting back up their tears. Jacob Rees Moggs nanny may be wrong. One should not tell a child stop crying or wipe away embarrassing tears. You should comfort them and assure them, and then wipe away any excess tears. Martin Armstrong-Prior

It is difficult to explain why certain pieces are so appealing. One piece that my children sang at the end of each term was one I struggled to understand. It was a song I'd never heard before I started school. I don't think it has any particular associations for me. However, I couldn't sing it without crying. Also, the hymn I Vow To Thee My Country was not sung at school. I'm not sure where it was first seen, but I believe it was in a movie. I've read all of the comments and don't think we have come close to answering this intriguing question. Andreamaisie

Although I really wanted to see some great answers, most comments seem to miss what the point is. It's not: What advantage does emotion expression have? It's not: Why are different emotions such as sadness, rage and happiness expressed in this particular liquid form, when it is so distracting, uncomfortable, blinding and distracting? fredlil

People can also weep when they are in the presence or the sacred, spiritual, or profoundly inspiring. Once in my life, I had an extremely spiritual experience that made me believe I felt God's presence and Gods love. I was a blubbering wreck and 50 years later, I am still unable to express my feelings without crying. Mantiki53