“I made this one with my tears”
The old saying goes “there’s no use crying over spilled milk”. But if there’s no use in crying, why do we do it? What evolutionary or scientific reason is there for us to pour water out of our eyes when we feel sad? Why do some of us cry when we’re happy also? Keep reading to learn more about this strange phenomena.
First of all, there are more than one type of “tear”. The first type of tear is called basal tears. This is the lubrication on our eyes that are always there. They form in three layers. The first layer, the mucus layer, keeps the basal layers attached to the eyeball. The second layer, the aqueous layer, keeps the eye hydrated, and protects from bacteria and damage to the cornea. The final layer of the basal tear is the lipid layer, which a thin, oily layer which keeps the other layers from evaporating and maintains the surface of the eyeball smooth to assist with sight.
The second type of tear is called a reflex tear. These type of tears would be produced when something irritates your eye and must be removed. Some irritants include wind, sand, dust, or the chemicals released by onions when you cut them. These tears also contain more microorganisms than basal tears, which allow them to fight against possible bacteria.
Most obviously, the third type of tear is the emotional tear. The reason why we cry emotional tears is more controversial. Tears contain a chemical called leucine enkephalin, which is said to be a “natural painkiller”. Some sources also say that tears are a way of expelling stress hormones and toxins from the body to calm you down. It is believed that crying is a part of the parasympathetic nervous system, which is used to calm down the body after being in a stressful situation. The parasympathetic nervous system also accompanies an increased heart rate and slower breathing. This can also explain why we cry when we are very happy. When the body is overly emotionally stimulated, the body must do what it can to return the body back to normal.
These emotional tears may also have evolutionary and social purposes also. Crying is a signal of distress towards others. This is why babies cry often. Crying is their only way to signal to their caretakers that they are in need of help. Before language, early humans may have cried in order to get help. Animals also cry when in distress by making noises, but they do not produce emotional tears. Emotional tears might also be a way to manipulate others. If you’ve ever argued with someone and they started crying, you may have noticed that it is difficult to continue aggressively arguing with them. Crying can be helpful to us humans in these varying ways, but the primary reason is still debatable.
For a more colorful description of the three types of tears, watch Alex Gendler’s TED talk on the subject.
So don’t be embarrassed when you shed some tears when you’re preparing onions or if you get dust in your eye. Your eyes are only trying to protect you. Also, remember that emotional crying is a fast way to get your emotions under control. Although it’s not always socially acceptable and makes others uncomfortable, Suppressing your tears will just make the calming down process slower, so cry when you can. The next time you spill milk, go ahead and cry about it. Crying will surely help you get over the traumatic event, and will help you to calm down faster.
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Michael, this blog post is extremely informative. I have always wondered what the science behind crying is about, and this gave a very clear description filled with interesting facts. You hit so many interesting points on the topic of tears in your blog that at first I wasn’t quite sure which direction to take my comment post in. I then thought about all of the studies done revolving around whether or not it is good to let a baby cry rather then go and sooth them. There is a myth that I found a wide variety of research on about crying being good for a babies lungs. The baby center editorial team concludes that babies cry to communicate a need; therefore, the writers believe that it is nearly neglectful to leave a crying baby unattended. Your post suggests many beneficial reasons to have a good cry when needed. This lesson may be one to hold off on until a baby grows up. To conclude, if a baby spills their milk bottle… do not let them cry over it.
Hi Michael,
I always feel better after crying after an intensely emotional situation, and this explains why perfectly. Not only will crying help you to get over a traumatic event, but it is good for you in other ways, too. It relieves stress, like you said, but it can also strengthen your relationships. It can make you feel bonded with another person if you cry together, which is a beautiful thing. It shows that you are able to empathize with each other, which brings people closer. After a good cry, a stressful situation can seem more manageable.
Our body is truly amazing for having different mechanisms on how to deal with the emotions and other feelings that we go through on a daily basis! i would like to say I’m just a happy crier but then I would be lying. I always cry when I’m upset or really stressed. While at times it could be seen as dramatic I honestly believe there’s nothing better than a good cry. You can actually feel that feeling and emotion leaving your body and all the stress that you’ve been holding onto finally releases. It releases the weight that’s been weighing you down for sometime and you can finally just breathe again.
This is so interesting. I have always found myself to be a “happy crier.” Although, when crying during happy moments such as graduation and happy scenes of movies, people always ask me why i’m crying and I have no clue how to answer. This makes a lot of sense. Also, it is so interesting that the body has one mechanism to deal with such varying issues. From irritation to emotion, the body knows how to fix itself.