THE CRYING GAME

Firstly before I start, I am not sure if something of this nature has ever been discussed on ATS before.
I chose to post this tread under Philosophy and Metaphysics for the sole reason of acquiring a broad spectrum of opinions for anybody willing to jump into the discussion.

Seeing as we are all technically "philosophers" with our own opinions towards the multitude of aspects that formulate what we deem to be existence. I am very much looking forward to the plethora of interpretations, scientific/biological theories, and personal beliefs toward the question that I am about to ask

Before I ask the question it should be noted that I require everybody to set aside their ego and acknowledge that this strange phenomena is part of our inherit make up.
For the greater majority it happens more often than what we want our peers to believe. Obviously there are many variables as to how this action can be activated/triggered, but that is exactly why I felt compelled to start this thread.

I will be the first to admit that I do it more often than what my appearance might perceive me to be to the outside world. Not that anyone of you folk here on ATS know what I look like (initiate evil laugh MMMMMHHHwahahahahah!).

Here we go.....

Why do we as human beings, express a broad spectrum of emotions with this physical action of irregular breathing,moaning,groaning,yelling,yelping and leaking of a salty like fluid substance from the eyes?

Or to put it plainly, WHY DO WE CRY??????

I am looking forward to everybodies opinion regarding this soppy topic

Regards Thinker

This should get interesting. Why dont you start off by telling us what are the reasons you cry?


Im also interested to know why the body reacts the way it does as the OP explained when you cry.

Interesting.
Aren't human beings the only ones that have this ability?

Crying is a natural process by the body to expel grit and dust from the eyes.

I think that our emotions simply utilize certain parts of the brain that control the tear ducts. So although it might seem like there would be a reason, It's simply just a coincidence.

I have also heard that there is a difference in your tears when you cry joyously and for sadness.

Scientists distinguish three kinds of tears, which differ from each other by function and also, probably, by composition. Basal tears actually form continuously. We don't experience these minute secretions as tears because they don't "ball up" as we are used to tears doing; instead, every time we blink, our eyelids spread the basal solution out over the surface of our eyeballs. Basal tears keep our eyes lubricated, important in preventing damage by air currents and bits of floating debris.

Basal tears, like all tears, have numerous components. A little bit of mucus allows them to adhere to the eye surface without causing harm. The main part of a tear contains, predictably, water and salts (like sodium chloride and potassium chloride). The ratio of salt to water in tears is typically similar to that of the rest of the body, so there is no net change in salt concentration; nonetheless, if the body's salt concentration climbs too high, it will take advantage of the tear solution and instill it with extra salt. Tears also have antibodies that defend against pathogenic microbes, and enzymes which also contribute to destroying any bacteria the eye encounters. A thin layer of oil covers the tear's outside to discourage it from falling out of the eye before its work has been done.

Our eyes produce irritant tears when hit by wind or sand (or insects or rocks). Irritant, or reflex, tears have the same constituents as basal tears, and work toward the same goal: protecting the eyes. However, since they are designed to break down and eliminate eyeball-intruders like airborne dust, these tears tend to flow in greater amounts and probably contain a greater concentration of antibodies and enzymes that target micro-organisms. Thus, irritant tears are not just basal tears in greater quantity; different biological processes precede the excretion of the two types of solution.

The voluminous tears that so rapidly move us to frustration or pity are, of course, emotional tears. Secreted in moments of intense feeling – sometimes joy, but more often sorrow – these tears aren't there to cleanse the eyes of irritating microbes or debris. Yet they do serve a purpose; the function of emotional tears can be inferred from their constituents. Emotional tears contain much more (maybe 25% more) than basal or irritant tears of a certain important ingredient: proteins.

What do proteins do? Well, what can't they do? We know very well they can be involved in anything and everything. The proteins found in emotional tears are hormones that build up to very high levels when the body withstands emotional stress.

If the chemicals associated with stress did not discharge at all, they would build up to toxic levels that could weaken the body's immune system and other biological processes. But here, as in other areas, the body has its own mechanisms of coping. We secrete stress chemicals when we sweat and when we cry. Clearly, then, it is physically very healthy to cry, regardless of whether or not it feels awkward or embarrassing socially. The reason people will frequently report feeling better after a well-placed cry is doubtless connected to the discharge of stress-related proteins; some of the proteins excreted in tears are even associated with the experience of physical pain, rendering weeping a physiologically pain-reducing process. Conversely, the state of clinical depression – in which many of the body's self-healing processes appear to "shut down," including, often, emotional tears – is most likely exacerbated by the tearless victim's inability to adequately discharge her pent-up stress. Psychologists refer to freely weeping as an important stage in the healing process. But although this notion may appear to be psychological in origin, involving the confrontation of one's own grief, it also just applies physiologically: crying can reduce levels of stress hormones.

serendip.brynmawr.edu...

Peace, NRE.

Originally posted by ElOmen
This should get interesting. Why dont you start off by telling us what are the reasons you cry?


Im also interested to know why the body reacts the way it does as the OP explained when you cry.

edit on 17-2-2013 by ElOmen because: (no reason given)

Since I am the one who started this i shall kindly list the reasons why I cry.

1. Guilt ( past mistakes)
2. Inspiration ( great music or movies and sometimes even personal discussions with close relations inducing thoughts of awe and inspiration)
3. Empathy ( seeing people, animals suffering on behalf of nonsensical terms)
4. Pain ( Be it of grievous physical properties like loosing all skin on my right forearm for a motorcycle accident to emotional pain of being betrayed by a loved one.
5. Grief ( initial impact of loosing a friend or pet, missing deceased.)
6. This might sound very silly but sometimes I cry for the world.

Occasionally any of the above are applicable

Originally posted by RooskiZombi
Interesting.
Aren't human beings the only ones that have this ability?

As far as I am aware of, yes. I know certain animals cry ( apart form actual tears) on some form or the other but not nearly as intense and for as many reasons as our species do.

Originally posted by DAZ21
Crying is a natural process by the body to expel grit and dust from the eyes.

I think that our emotions simply utilize certain parts of the brain that control the tear ducts. So although it might seem like there would be a reason, It's simply just a coincidence.

Very interesting analogy, maybe the control of this action is some type of evolutionary anomaly due to the advancement of the human brain and the "emotional baggage" that comes with the territory of self awareness and heightened abilities of cognition.

Why do you laugh?
Why do humans make little yelping noises, as unique as we are, when we find something funny?
On that note, what is funny? What makes something funny?
Why is it that something can be funny to one person yet off-putting to another?
Why is it that what makes you cry makes me laugh and vice versa?
So many questions with so few answers.
I'm just grateful to be here to experience the wide array of emotions a human can.
Did you know that the average male ejaculate has 180-400 million sperm!?
WE SHOULDN'T EVEN BE HERE!
Yet we are. We beat the odds and won the race and get to experience this thing called life.
We get to cry and laugh and run and fart and love and and and.
We get to live.
Why?
(this is where you can insert the Inception gong)

reply to post by NoRegretsEver


I am familiar with the basal tears but always wondered how these tears can 'over flow'. Although I wonder what types of hormones they mention could be invloved with crying, I wonder if there is a difference in levels of such hormones between males and females.

Thanks for sharing that information, very interesting indeed

Originally posted by slowisfast
Why do you laugh?
Why do humans make little yelping noises, as unique as we are, when we find something funny?
On that note, what is funny? What makes something funny?
Why is it that something can be funny to one person yet off-putting to another?
Why is it that what makes you cry makes me laugh and vice versa?
So many questions with so few answers.
I'm just grateful that to be here to experience the wide array of emotions a human can.
Did you know that the average male ejaculate has 180-400 million sperm!?
WE SHOULDN'T EVEN BE HERE!
Yet we are. We beat the odds and won the race and get to experience this thing called life.
We get to cry and laugh and run and fart and love and and and.
We get to live.
Why?
(this is where you can insert the Inception gong)

Hehehehe very well put. It is indeed a fascinating concept, this life business. The great times, the crappy times and the ability to question them and everything in between. Mind boggling stuff none the less. You just left a real smirk on my face just thinking about it. In the end it is indeed a blessing to be here considering all the levels of interaction that set about a chain reaction for the two of us to be sitting where we are discussing this very idea.

Good things

Crying is a secretomotor function of our bodies that helps us to rid ourselves of stress hormones.

en.wikipedia.org...:Nk.sheridan/Sandbox/Crying

Crying actually has little to do with getting dust out of one's eyes.

I am no scientist but maybe the emotion causes a chemical reaction witch in turn creates tears. Kind of like when you mix 2 chemicals in a container and they create a gas the pressure builds up and eventually the gas seeps out of the container. You can look at that statement as physical or metaphorically.

A emotional build up and then BOOM.

Emotionally, crying allows the person to release pent-up anger, sadness, terror, or other emotions. Some people cry, others punch pillows or yell at trees.

I find crying to be therapeutic. I don't do it often, but when stress builds and I'm at my breaking point, a good ten minute bawl will set things to rights. Afterwards, I feel drained and empty of emotion much like a punctured abscess (sorry about that analogy, but it's apt).

My poor husband, he doesn't get it, even after almost eight years of marriage. He thinks crying is a bad thing, and automatically tries to give me comfort. Then I have to explain that I need a good cry, not to worry, and everything will be okay.

I think of crying like the release valve on a pressure cooker. If you don't release it somehow, you'll explode.

I also believe we should be teaching our young ones how to release these feelings...I have a hunch that some of today's spree killers never learned how to let go.

educated guess would be pre-existing abilities repurposed in the evolution of social structures/ communication.

reply to post by FreeThinkerbychoice


We cry when the soul aches or rejoices in happiness...

Your heart screams and the body can't handle it...

reply to post by Akragon


i want to see link for that one

reply to post by ElOmen


There is no link... It came from the same place I was speaking of

It's my party and I'll cry if I want to, cry if I want to, cry if I want to.

There's nothing wrong with crying. I'm male and I don't think males who cry are [snip]. For some strange reason though I'm unable to cry and have been for about 12 years now (best estimate). I'm not sure why I can't, but I just can't even when I feel sad.