Why Do People Cry?

It’s true that people cry in many different situations, though most people associate crying with being sad. It may help to first understand the idea of “tears.” This liquid from specific ducts near our eyes helps keep the eyes lubricated and the surface of the eyes clean. When we blink we also assist the spread of this moisture across the entire eye.
While many animals have this same procedure for cleansing and lubricating their eyes, other animals don’t produce tears in other situations the way humans do. Science texts and doctor’s reports show that there are three kinds of tears. One category includes the tears described above. They provide protection and lubrication for the eyes. These are known in medicine as basal tears.

In contrast, reflex tears flow when the human eye is irritated by some foreign matter. They have the task of cleaning the eye. Then there are the emotional tears that are the subject of our question, “Why do people cry? If we experience a sad situation, become involved in a stressful situation or experience pain somewhere in the body, emotional tears may well be the response.

One of the fascinating facts about this type of tears is the manganese content. Reflex and basal tears seem to have less of this chemical than emotional tears. Manganese is widely known as a necessary factor in maintaining an even temperament. It is sometimes prescribed along with other medicines for behavioral and depression cases.

Some theories state that when the body releases emotional tears and the excess manganese they contain, the body is trying to achieve a chemical/emotional balance. Apart from this physical element, others hold to the theory that we cry and produce specific tears so that we can show others how we feel. This theory is used to explain why babies cry as their primary method of communication. Infants cry long before they can use speech as a way of communicating.

These same theories propose that adults cry for much the same reason. It helps them connect with others and may be the most effective way to get support or some other reaction from those who are close by. Some animals may have similar ways of communicating their sadness or distress, though this is still the subject of debate.

So, crying when we are sad may be a combination of both chemical/physical need and emotional/mental need. The body may be seeking a balance in both areas. This raises another question, “Why do we cry when we are happy?” Some researchers have proposed that the reason is much the same. Whether we are happy or sad we need to release our emotions in some physical way. Tears may be one of the natural reactions to a “happy” situation that puts our bodies in a state of imbalance, just as a “sad” situation puts us in a state of imbalance. Emotional tears may not be reserved for the emotion we call sadness. Those tears may have at least two essential uses in the human body.