Why Do You Cry?”, Said the Scientist
“But a mermaid has no tears, and therefore she suffers so much more.”
― Hans Christian Andersen, The Little Mermaid
Have you ever found yourself overwhelmed by tears, feeling the classic lump in your throat, your ears deafened by sudden roaring silence, and your heart heavy with emotions? I certainly have, and it has always made me wonder: What is the scientific reason behind our tears? After all, there’s always a reason.
From the moment we are born, crying marks our entry into this world, and in the crushing final seconds, someone will shed tears for us when we depart. Throughout the journey in between, tears accompany us, in moments of success and despair, in unions and goodbyes, and during moments of pride and embarrassment.
A universal experience by each and every person who has lived on earth, crying is such a mysterious and ambiguous thing.
But by the end of this post, it will be mysterious no more. You will finally know the scientific reason behind crying. So please, read on.
The Regular, the Reflexive and the Psychic
Like different painkillers, different tears are made up of different ingredients. There are three main types of tears:
Regular tears (Basal tears)
- These tears are always present, lubricating the eye to allow the eyelid to go smoothly over it and protect it from dust and dirt.
- They are made up of a balance of water, electrolytes (e.g. sodium), proteins and other components essential for eye health.
Reflexive tears
- Triggered by irritants such as onions, smoke or dust, reflexive tears contain more lysozymes, which are enzymes that help destroy germs.
Psychic tears
- Also called emotional tears, these are composed of the same ingredients as basal tears but with hormones. I discuss which hormones below.
Why the Tears? A Biochemical Perspective
Tears serve as a means of detoxification for our bodies. They help to flush out unwanted substances and irritants from our eyes, protecting them from potential harm and keeping them moist and healthy.
But besides this, why do certain emotions trigger crying?
Crying is controlled by the hypothalamus, which is part of the limbic system in the brain. The limbic system is responsible for generating basic emotions such as happiness, sadness, anger, fear etc. When a person is feeling a strong emotion, the hypothalamus stimulates the production of tears through the autonomic nervous system.
There is no single explanation to answer why this happens. Rather, there are multiple reasons and theories:
- Hormone release in tears: Some researchers suggest that psychic tears contain stress hormones (e.g., cortisol) because the body is physically trying to push them out and make you feel better.
- Hormone release inside the body: Hormones are not only released in tears but inside the body too.
Endorphins — the body’s natural painkillers and mood enhancers — and oxytocin (or love hormone) are released when you cry, reducing both emotional and physical pain, helping contribute to the calming effect felt after crying. - Women cry more than men: I found this point interesting. Apparently, women have smaller tear ducts than men do. So, if a man and woman both tear up, the woman’s tears would spill first. This is not the only reason though. There are other reasons, though they are too much to explain in this small section.
Ultimately, hormones are the biggest reason when it comes to reasons for emotional crying. There are other reasons too, such as psychological, but I mainly focused on the scientific.
Tears: A Sign of a Pure Heart
Though natural, many people still feel embarrassed when they cry. This is due to a combination of factors, including:
- Social norms and expectations
- Emotional regulation
- Self-consciousness
- Personal beliefs and experiences
You should not feel embarrassed when you cry. It is a natural and healthy emotional response and should not be associated with weakness.
Of course, different cultures and societies may have varying attitudes towards crying, but ultimately, we are all human and should encourage conversations about any struggles or issues we are having without feeling the stigma and embarrassment of doing so.
What about you?
Do you feel embarrassed when you cry?
What are the societal views of where you live when it comes to expressing tears of emotion?
If you’re a man, do you feel like it’s more embarrassing for you to cry than if you were a woman?
Sources:
Please comment any thoughts or ideas you had about this post. If you liked it, why not read my other posts like “Wait. A Toddler is Smarter than Me?” Or “Who Ya Gunna Call? (psst — it’s not ghost busters)” (all science based, except for one, which was an apology to my dad about the refrigerator).
Also, please applaud (as many times as you like, maybe 50 😉) if you enjoyed and learnt something new.
Thanks for reading :)
