# Why do emotional things have physical reactions?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-emotional-things-have-physical-reactions/269757>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [October 18, 2004, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-emotional-things-have-physical-reactions/269757 "2004-10-18T02:46:40Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![me\_paso](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e8c25b/32.png) [@me\_paso](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/me_paso)\
**Post date:** [October 18, 2004, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-emotional-things-have-physical-reactions/269757/1 "2004-10-18T02:46:40Z")

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Like crying when you are sad, turning red when you are embarressed, or heart pounding when you are nervous. Why do these mental/emotional things cause physical reactions?

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**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\
**Post date:** [October 18, 2004, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-emotional-things-have-physical-reactions/269757/2 "2004-10-18T03:17:19Z")

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Fight/flight responses prepare you to do exactly that–either fight or flee. Blood flow is diverted from the organs to the muscles, the heart pumps faster to deliver more oxygen, etc. Any emotion related to fear/anxiety is part of this.

As far as laughing and crying, I really don’t know.

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**Author:** ![me\_paso](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e8c25b/32.png) [@me\_paso](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/me_paso)\
**Post date:** [October 18, 2004, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-emotional-things-have-physical-reactions/269757/3 "2004-10-18T03:25:23Z")

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[QUOTE=Sattua]  
Blood flow is diverted from the organs to the musclesQUOTE]  
But why does getting embarrassed cause it?

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**Author:** ![JasonFin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/4af34b/32.png) [@JasonFin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JasonFin)\
**Post date:** [October 18, 2004, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-emotional-things-have-physical-reactions/269757/4 "2004-10-18T05:13:44Z")

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I would guess that perhaps, in evolutionary terms, the physical reaction is really the fundamental part of these emotional states. The mental effects could have come along more recently, after we had developed minds worthy of speaking of, and bent pre-existing reactions to new purposes.

I don’t know what embarrassment corresponds to that might be useful for a relatively unintelligent animal.

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**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\
**Post date:** [October 18, 2004, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-emotional-things-have-physical-reactions/269757/5 "2004-10-18T05:32:59Z")

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> [@JasonFin](#):
>
> I don’t know what embarrassment corresponds to that might be useful for a relatively unintelligent animal.

The cat slinks off after falling off the windowsill _knowing_ that we will laugh at it, and attempt to catch it for our supper.