Being very upset, a person can cry. Why do people cry?
Tears are produced by special glands that are located in the inner corners of the eyes. They are not only in humans, but also in other animals, even birds. The glands secrete the fluid necessary for washing the eyeballs, cleaning and moisturizing them. But how is the release of tears associated with emotions?
The history of the study of tears and crying
The origin of tears for a long time remained an unexplored issue; ideas on this score were put forward by a variety of different ones. It was believed that tears come from brain fluid, which allows them to be associated with emotions. Alter Rebbe, the religious leader who created the teachings of Habid, argued that the bad news made the brain contract, causing fluid to escape, which comes in the form of tears. The good news, in his opinion, caused the expansion of the brain, improved its blood supply.
Modern scientists refute this version, indicating the presence of lacrimal glands, responsible for the release of fluid. The glands and their work are controlled by the brain. The work of the lacrimal system is studied by the science of biochemistry, as well as medicine, physiology, and a number of others. At the moment, the physiological aspect of her work is analyzed in detail, completely understood by scientists. But there are certain problems with linking the work of the glands to emotions, some aspects are still being investigated.
Interesting fact: William Frey, an American biochemist, has been researching this process for several years. He noted that tears can remove toxins from the body. At the moment, the theory is being investigated, and there is no substantial evidence for it.
Tears and human emotions
Scientists who study human behavior note that crying is a reflex response to external stimuli, demonstrating weakness and vulnerability. This is a request for protection, which manifests itself at the level of instincts laid before birth - because no one specifically teaches a child to cry. Crying should attract the attention of an adult, primarily a mother, who, in turn, must find, eliminate the cause of the child’s discomfort. Many children in the first months of life do not know how to cry with tears, they just make loud noises.
Why is the ability to cry formed?
In the same way, pups of any species of animals, birds, patronized by their parents, piercingly make noise to attract the attention of their mother. But in young animals, the ability to cry with tears is then not formed, but in humans it appears. Why is this happening?
In the process of growing up, human behavior is complicated, crying becomes one of the aspects of group human behavior. A child, having matured a little, can cry not because he is cold or thirsty, but because of the insult caused by another child. This also becomes a signal of trouble and an insistent request to pay attention to his problem. The crying is followed by the instinctive response of the parents - the reaction to these sounds in the mother, and even in other adults who are not relatives of the baby, is also laid at the subconscious level. The signal that the baby needs help is recognized instantly.
Crying in adults
In adults, crying remains in a somewhat atrophied form, and also represents a form of group behavior - despite the fact that many people prefer to cry alone. This is also a signal necessary to attract attention in a difficult situation, a demand for protection, help. It is not difficult to prove the statement - for the most part, men cannot resist the cry of their girlfriend or wife, they begin to analyze the situation and look for the opportunity to stop such a clear demonstration of defenselessness. Men themselves actually cry much less often, and the vast majority strive to hide their tears, as a demonstration of helplessness and the need for protection contradicts all forms of male behavior.
Are crying controlled as a reflex, subconscious action?
In young children, crying is not controlled by beliefs, in order to stop it, you need not to comfort the infant, but to eliminate the cause of its discomfort. Then the baby will stop crying, will sleep. In the process of growing up, this process becomes more and more manageable; upbringing plays a large role in this. Explaining to the boy that men do not cry, you can have a serious impact on him - he will really cry less often, and calm down - faster. Those children who are under the care of their parents, show less ability to control their own emotions and crying as a consequence, often grow into overly emotional adults.
Most adults fully control their crying, and can not hold back tears only in rare cases - when they experience a real emotional shock, or when it comes to severe pain, especially in the face, when the tears begin to act reflexively, and it is almost impossible to restrain them.
Interesting fact: It’s worth separately to talk about the tears of joy. In general, tears in an adult can signal that he is full of emotions and can not restrain them. Overfilling with emotions is stress for the body, even when it comes to positive. Crying, a person may feel that the emotions receded. That is, tears can act as a kind of emotional discharge.
Thus, people cry because this is a form of instinctive demonstration of trouble in infancy, and when an individual grows up, crying becomes a form of group behavior, a kind of request for protection. Parenting allows you to learn self-control, a person is able to restrain tears. It is also possible to call them artificially - each actor learns to show emotions as believably as possible, including crying, bursting into tears when the demonstration of such emotions requires the plot of a production or film.
