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Unhealthy or secretly quite nice?
Humans are the only animals that cry. And we don’t mean crying over a plate of onions. Or fluid loss in an eye infection. But shedding tears for sorrow, pain or joy. Why do we do that?
At first we feel overwhelmed by our feeling. Then there is a lump in our throats. Our face makes a typical grimace and eventually the tears come.
Shedding tears
Many people cry during major events: funerals and weddings. Yet we shed most tears over small, daily frustrations. A date that doesn’t happen, a beautiful vase that breaks. It is mainly the situations in which we feel helpless.
Healthy by crying
For a while it was thought that crying is necessary to discharge waste products. But so few waste products fit in a tear, that really doesn’t make you healthier. Crying would also be a relief, but physically you mainly feel stress.
Your heart rate and blood pressure have risen and you start to cry. You can feel relieved, for example when someone comforts you after a fit of crying. But if the crying is disapproved, you will feel even more unhappy.Comfort me
Because babies can’t talk yet, they have to cry. With this they ask for help, support and comfort. But as an adult you can also just ask someone something. Tears don’t seem really necessary.
Yet sometimes we fall back on our tears. They impress more than a question in words. Someone who cries is more likely to be helped. Or you cry because you want to be left alone. For example, during an argument. Tears build a stronger bond with others. That is why you cry together with joy at a birth or marriage.
Yet it also happens that you cry alone. There is then no one to help you. People are often ashamed of their tears. They quickly run to a bathroom, or wait until they get home to cry. Even if you are not comforted, it is still very useful. It may be a sign to yourself. You cry for a reason, maybe you need to change something in your life?More women
Some people cry more often than others. They can empathize better with others, or they are more outgoing. Not everyone will just cry in front of everyone. Sleep deprivation and fatigue also play a role. You will then be less able to swallow your tears.
Hormones
Women appear to cry more than men. About two to five times as much. This has to do with hormones. The female hormone prolactin makes you cry earlier. The male hormone testosterone works exactly the other way around.
Women are also in more emotional situations. They often work in healthcare, for example. Many women also look it up. They like to watch a whine movie. You don’t see men doing this. They try to avoid more strong emotions.
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