Why Do We Cry?

 by Bianka Anszczak

'Crying Girl' by Roy Lichtenstein, 1964

We cry when cutting onions and when something gets in your eye, but why is it that we cry when feeling strong emotions? Humans are the only creatures whose tears can be triggered by their feelings. For babies, it may be obvious, tears are vital in getting attention and care from adults. But why do the rest of us respond to sadness, anger, grief, or happiness through crying.

There are three types of tears: Basal which lubricate the eye and deter harmful bacteria, Reflex, which respond to irritants, and finally Emotional.

Over time there have been many theories as to why we cry emotional tears.

Scientists have found that emotional tears are chemically different to the ones people shed when chopping onions (reflex) and lubricating tears (basal). Emotional tears contain higher levels of protein and stress hormones such as cortisol. It has been hypothesised that the protein makes the tears more viscous, causing them to run down the face more slowly and therefore making them more likely to be seen by others, signalling distress. Another theory is that the hormones in emotional tears (such as cortisol) enable us to quite literally shed these hormones form the body, allowing us to calm down whilst simultaneously simulate the production of endorphins. And so, tears also serve as a therapeutic mechanism and can be viewed as a healing process to stimulants that cause pain.

However, these are both theories as the research is still limited, and results are not yet 100% conclusive.

However, it is clear crying is an expression of your distress and vulnerability to others. Tears blur your vision and essentially handicap any aggressive or defence actions. From an evolutionary perspective it puts you at a disadvantage in a fight or flight response. However, the vulnerability expressed when crying, also sends those nearby a signal of need, and/or attachment. This type of communication can therefore strengthen bonds between people, and rather, ‘increase your chance of survival’ as the people around you are more likely to express empathy and, in a sense, ‘come to your rescue’. Therefore, tears may be a social mechanism to elicit sympathy or show submission. Some studies have proven that people which are more secure in their relationships to others are often more comfortable showing emotion in normal and healthy settings.

So, if tears are so important to human bonding and connection, are people who never cry less socially connected?

Some studies have in fact found that non-crying people withdraw more easily from relationships, making them less connected to those around them. Moreover, non-crying people tended to experience more negative emotions such as: anger, rage, and disgust, compared to those who cry. However, it is important to note that this is not always the case. Other reasons as to why someone might not cry emotional tears also depends on the size of their tear ducts and number of hormones which promote tears (e.g. prolactin). On average, women have been found to cry 60% more than men. This may be due to men having more testosterone (which might inhibit crying) as well as social factors, for instance, being encouraged not to cry.

However, weather you cry a lot, a little or not at all, it is important to check in with yourself and those around you, as sometimes, all we need is just a good cry.