It is common to our species to cry as a form of expression. People cry when they are feeling sad, overwhelmingly happy, saying goodbye, and watching an emotional story. There are times when we may not even know why we are crying.Whilst many animals cry tears for various reasons related to eye health, humans are the only animals known to cry tears due to emotions.
But why do humans cry?) Why do we cry more than other animals? What is special about human tears? Scientists have some amazing ideas about why humans cry tears, but the answer still remains uncertain.
The 3 types of tear
Before looking into emotional crying, it would help to look at the different tears humans have.
Basal tears – are constantly producing to keep our eyes moist.
Reflex tears – are produced when our eyes have come into contact with an irritant such as smoke, dust or chemicals we find in onions. This helps flush out the irritants.
Emotional tears – are cried due to some sort of emotion such as feeling sad, happy, frustrated, relieved or empathetic. Unlike the others, emotional tears are very related to emotions.
Although many animals produce reflex and basal tears, many mammals require tears to produce to keep their eyes healthy. We currently have no convincing scientific evidence to suggest any other animal cries tears due to emotional reasons.
They do not lack emotion but emotional tears seem to be a unique behaviour of humans.
What happens in the brain when you cry?
Emotional tears involve many interactive parts of the brain. Emotions are processed using many networks within the brain.
When we have a strong emotion, these glands that produce tears (lacrimal glands) can be affected by our nervous system. Fluid will be produced and flow over our eyes.
We also cannot fully control this reaction. We may try to stop ourselves crying but we find tears will still be produced. Some people also may feel very upset but not cry at all.
Emotional tears are affected by many factors including how intense your emotions are, individual differences, social norms, stress and situation.
We are constantly learning more about how certain emotions can cause tears. Scientists do not have a full answer for why certain emotions can cause tears whereas others produce a different physical reaction.
Why have humans evolved to cry?
A leading answer is that emotional tears have evolved partly as a form of communication.
Humans are very social animals and rely on working together, having relationships and having support. Tears can show other people you are feeling some sort of emotion.
For example, seeing a child cry can draw attention to them from a carer. Or an adult starting to cry during a tough conversation can show how vulnerable and emotional they are feeling.
Having visible tears may make other people want to comfort, protect or assist you. It can also show you are genuine or more open with your emotions.
Some researchers believe that crying helped build stronger relationships between humans through evolution. In groups of humans where working together was important, showing they were feeling some sort of distress could encourage others to support eachother.
However, this is just a theory and we cannot observe the very beginning of emotional tears. Therefore we are not fully sure.
Are emotional tears different?
Research has shown that emotional tears can be different to basal tears. The composition of tears can change. However, there is no one chemical that has been shown to be the reason we cry tears.
There can be other changes in the body. For example your voice may shake, your breathing may change, your face may move and you may feel a tight chest.
This shows that crying is not just a reflex in the eye. It is linked to our brain, nervous system and body.
Some people feel more relaxed after crying whilst others feel tired, shy or even more upset. It depends on the person.
Do tears make us feel better?
Many people believe that crying can help with our emotions. Sometimes it can. If you feel like you have support and you can process your tough situation, it can help.
It can help show that you need comforting from friends, family or people you trust. The social interaction may be a key reason why some people feel better.
However, research has shown that crying does not always help with stress and can depend on the situation you are in, how you are feeling and other peoples reactions.
If you are being kind and reassuring whilst someone is crying you may feel relieved. However if you are being criticised or made to feel shy whilst crying you may feel worse.
Therefore we should not see emotional tears as a guaranteed way of letting go of negative emotions. It is just a small part of a much more complex emotion.
Why are we all different?
Whilst emotional tears are common within humans, people can vary greatly in terms of how often they cry and in what situations.
Factors such as age, personality, culture, personal experiences and social situations can all play a role. Some people will easily cry whilst watching a film whilst others will rarely cry even in tough situations.
Social situations may also play a role. Some places are okay with people crying whilst others may put pressure on you to not cry.
This doesn’t mean that someone feels more emotions than someone else. You can feel extremely emotional but not show it through tears.
Could other animals cry emotionally?
This is a tricky question. Many animals have complex emotions and social behaviours. Many mammals form strong relationships and show signs of distress when separated.
However, to prove that they are crying due to an emotion we need solid evidence. We need to know that they are only crying due to an emotion and not anything else such as irritation, damage or physical reasons. We currently don’t have enough evidence to say humans are not unique in this situation.
More research may help us understand how animals show distress and if there are similar physical reactions.
Conclusion
Emotional tears are one of the most recognisable ways humans show their emotions. It links physical reactions in our body with our emotions which can sometimes be hard to put into words.
Scientists believe that crying can play a role in communication, relationships and showing emotions. Research has shown that tears are linked to complex reactions in our brain and nervous system. However we are unsure exactly why humans have evolved emotional tears.
The most interesting part about tears is that they can show emotions that we may not be able to put into words. One tear can show you are sad, relieved, happy or in need of support.
Although we do not have all the answers to why we cry emotionally, one thing we do know is that tears are not just water coming out of our eyes. They are a amazing human behaviour putting together biology, emotions and social emotions.
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