Why Do We Cry When We Laugh?

I'm sure those who laugh a lot can testify this right? The same goes to me. But do you know why you will have such reaction? Whether we ...

I'm sure those who laugh a lot can testify this right? The same goes to me. But do you know why you will have such reaction? Whether we are weeping with laughter or sobbing in sorrow, our bodies will respond similarly when our emotions run riot? A few scientists have explored the physical pathways of emotional tears, but none have categorically stated why these tears existed when we are sad or happy. Seems that even the scientists can't solve these mystery aye?

Meow~ahahaha!

Tom Lutz, who is the author of Crying: The Natural and Cultural History of Tears (I never know there is such a book), notes that Darwin published snapshots of laughing and crying people to demonstrate that the same expression accompanies both behaviours. You see, some tears are squeezed out of the ducts simply because the face is scrunched up. Now that makes a little sense.

Scrunchy faces!

But tears also accompany out body's return to homeostasis after extreme excitation. So after a big laughing jag, tears are a sign that the body is returning to normal again. So if we don't cry after we are "high" means our body is not normal? Ha :D

Clever. Now no more tears.

Likewise, what tears are made of may offer further indications about why we cry. Unlike tears that well up when we chop onions, emotional tears are unusually rich in protein-based hormones that spike when we are stressed. Hence this fact has give rise to the theory that releasing tears-and thus the hormones in them (the tears) is the body's attempt to reduce stress.

Yes we can...cry.

All in all, regardless of its cause-be it pleasure or pain-people tend to feel better after a good cry. That's why they say women can live longer than men because they tend to cry more. So now we know that one of the secret of longevity is crying. Haha :D So have you cried recently?

Tear...

~First Commenter~