# Why do people cry?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-cry/231581>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [February 28, 2004, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-cry/231581 "2004-02-28T04:48:26Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\
**Post date:** [February 28, 2004, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-cry/231581/1 "2004-02-28T04:48:26Z")

</div>

Specifically, why do people produce tears during times of great emotion. Is there any physiological purpose to this? Is there any other animal that does this?

Thanks in advance for any answers.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Wrenchslinger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/94ad74/32.png) [@Wrenchslinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wrenchslinger)\
**Post date:** [February 28, 2004, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-cry/231581/2 "2004-02-28T05:05:32Z")

</div>

Not sure about people, I do know why the angels cry…

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Nishroch\_Order](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Nishroch\_Order](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nishroch_Order)\
**Post date:** [February 28, 2004, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-cry/231581/3 "2004-02-28T05:18:47Z")

</div>

jus do a quick search within this forum and u’ll find that this URL=http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=241087&highlight=crying]qns has been asked and answered(attempted) before already. happy reading~

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Nishroch\_Order](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Nishroch\_Order](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nishroch_Order)\
**Post date:** [February 28, 2004, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-cry/231581/4 "2004-02-28T05:19:57Z")

</div>

jus do a quick search within this forum and u’ll find that this [qns](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=241087&highlight=crying) has been asked and answered(attempted) before already. happy reading~

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\
**Post date:** [February 28, 2004, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-cry/231581/5 "2004-02-28T05:21:07Z")

</div>

I’ll close this and direct further comment to the earlier thread.