Why do people cry when they are sad

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the reasons why people cry in response to various emotions, including sadness and happiness, as well as the physiological mechanisms behind crying. Participants explore both human and animal behaviors related to crying, touching on emotional expressions and potential biological functions.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants question whether the discussion is separating beliefs in "spiritual emotions" from "biological" or "scientific emotions."
  • One participant asserts that only humans cry, while others challenge this by citing emotional behaviors in animals like dogs and elephants.
  • There is a debate about whether animals have tear glands and the implications of this for their emotional expression.
  • Some participants propose that crying serves a physiological purpose, such as flushing chemicals from the body during emotional stress.
  • Others express uncertainty about the existence of specific chemicals related to crying and emotional responses.
  • One participant shares anecdotal evidence of their dog exhibiting behaviors that resemble crying, raising questions about animal emotions.
  • Another participant mentions research suggesting that emotional tears contain specific hormones related to feelings of depression.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on the reasons behind crying or the emotional capabilities of animals. Multiple competing views remain regarding the physiological mechanisms and the emotional lives of both humans and animals.

Contextual Notes

Some claims about the emotional capacities of animals and the physiological aspects of crying are based on personal anecdotes and assumptions that may not be universally accepted or scientifically verified.

wolram
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Why do people cry when they are sad, happy even when watching a film ?
 
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wolram said:
Why do people cry when they are sad, happy even when watching a film ?

Are you trying to segragate people that believe in "spiritual emotions" from those that believe in "biological" or "scientific emotions"?
 
DM said:
Are you trying to segragate people that believe in "spiritual emotions" from those that believe in "biological" or "scientific emotions"?

No it is just, that AFIK only humans cry, i know animals do not have emotions
but why do they not cry when hurt, i mean cry tears.
 
wolram said:
i know animals do not have emotions

Dogs have emotions. And they do cry when they are hurt, both physically and emotionally. If they had tear ducks (sp) then I am sure that you would see tears flowing from their eyes too.

Elephants will actually have a kind of ceremony and morn the death of another elephant. That is emotion and I am quite sure that they feel things rather deeply. In fact, you can tell when an animal is happy, sad, angry...those are all emotions.
 
Well, but very few animals bother to watch a film (just see how uninterested Benji is).
Thus, there's no wonder they don't cry then.
 
Thats true Townsend, i remember a film on elephants that showed one trying to
make a another sick one stand.
 
arildno said:
Well, but very few animals bother to watch a film (just see how uninterested Benji is).
Thus, there's no wonder they don't cry then.

Benji loves it when other dogs are on tv.
 
Most animals don't have tear glands (do any?)
 
Smurf said:
Most animals don't have tear glands (do any?)

I think they all have tear glands so to speak. I mean, they need something to keep their eyes wet...I think what is lacking is the tear ducks.

I cannot say for sure...does anyone know for sure?
 
  • #10
Crying and laughing are ways of releasing one:s emotion

wolram said:
Why do people cry when they are sad, happy even when watching a film ?

because they are callled "people".
 
  • #11
Townsend said:
I think they all have tear glands so to speak. I mean, they need something to keep their eyes wet...I think what is lacking is the tear ducks.

I cannot say for sure...does anyone know for sure?
Crocodiles shed tears:
http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/natsci/herpetology/brittoncrocs/cbd-faq-q6.htm
 
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  • #12
arildno said:
Crocodiles shed tears:
http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/natsci/herpetology/brittoncrocs/cbd-faq-q6.htm

Interesting...

http://www.wisegeek.com/do-animals-cry.htm

So it seems that most animals do in fact have the equipment to shed tears...
 
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  • #13
wolram said:
Why do people cry when they are sad, happy even when watching a film ?
I'm going to presume that your question is more about the physiological mechanism of crying and its benefits.

Chemicals produced under emotional stress end of in our lympth system and in our tears. The act of crying helps flush these chemicals from the body.
 
  • #14
DaveC426913 said:
I'm going to presume that your question is more about the physiological mechanism of crying and its benefits.

Chemicals produced under emotional stress end of in our lympth system and in our tears. The act of crying helps flush these chemicals from the body.

Seriously? So there is some actual benefit to crying? Awesome...
 
  • #15
Smurf said:
Most animals don't have tear glands (do any?)
My little dog (aka fruit bat) cries when the cats won't let him drill holes into the sides of their heads. It's really sad, he gets these real wet patches under his eyes.
 
  • #16
My dog fake-cries when he doesn't get his way. Most of the time, he doesn't produce tears, but that little face (and he now it) gets him exactly what he wants
 
  • #17
I was just thinking about why do people cry when they are sad, happy or from some other emotion when I discovered this forum. I was thinking, there has to be a reason people are able to express their emotions though involuntary reactions such as crying. I would think that your brain would release some type of horomone or chemical in response to your emotions. I will do lots of research on this because it is a very good question. I know of people that use drugs, such as ecstacy, to release a 'happiness' chemical in their brain. If their is such a chemical, there must be an opposing one, right? I don't know anything about this. It is just a thought.
 
  • #18
yomamma said:
My dog fake-cries when he doesn't get his way. Most of the time, he doesn't produce tears, but that little face (and he now it) gets him exactly what he wants

If benji wants any thing he will park him self in front of you and stare, if you ignore him he will put his front paws on your lap and lick you until you give in.
 
  • #19
sarahbm90 said:
I was just thinking about why do people cry when they are sad, happy or from some other emotion when I discovered this forum. I was thinking, there has to be a reason people are able to express their emotions though involuntary reactions such as crying. I would think that your brain would release some type of horomone or chemical in response to your emotions. I will do lots of research on this because it is a very good question. I know of people that use drugs, such as ecstacy, to release a 'happiness' chemical in their brain. If their is such a chemical, there must be an opposing one, right? I don't know anything about this. It is just a thought.

Good luck with your research :smile:
 
  • #20
wolram said:
Good luck with your research :smile:

Thank you :D

This site was able to explain to me exactly why I am always feeling the way I do. It seems that I was likely one of the people to inherit the 'low stress tolerance' gene. That is not a good thing, but learning about it makes me feel better. Knowing what is wrong with you is the first step to fixing it.

www.teachhealth.com/chemmess.html

Another site answered the original question "why do we cry?" I suppose I was wrong about the brain actually releasing a chemical forcing tears.

"When emotions overtake us, the brain stimulates the tear glands and triggers crying."

"Scientists have discovered that emotional tears contain higher levels of manganese and the hormone prolactin, which are directly related to feelings of depression. Many believe that the body in times of emotional stress, depends on the tears produced by the lacrimal gland to carry away excess chemicals and hormones that contribute to anxiety and depression."
 
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