# Why do we have tears **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 25, 2024, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-have-tears/1010743 "2024-11-25T05:41:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Loggins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/74df32/32.png) [@Loggins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loggins)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2024, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-have-tears/1010743/1 "2024-11-25T05:41:32Z")
When we are sad, we might drip from our eyes. What causes this dripping, what caused evolution to force us to drop tears? ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2024, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-have-tears/1010743/2 "2024-11-25T05:46:45Z")
[Several reasons](https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/319631), a big one being that it helps attract people who want to help. The fact that faking tears is harder than just faking a facial expression helps, it’s more of an “honest signal” (meaning in biology a signal that’s hard to fake and therefore more likely to be believed by other individuals). ---
**Author:** ![Loggins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/74df32/32.png) [@Loggins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loggins)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2024, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-have-tears/1010743/3 "2024-11-25T05:49:12Z")
Interesting that you say faking tears, im sure only actors can do that. (Btw your link didnt work for me) ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2024, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-have-tears/1010743/4 "2024-11-25T05:59:13Z")
> [@Loggins](#): > > (Btw your link didnt work for me) Strange…it works fine for me. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2024, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-have-tears/1010743/5 "2024-11-25T06:06:23Z")
Crying relieves stress. There’s some biological thing that happens. But, mostly tears are lubrication. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2024, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-have-tears/1010743/6 "2024-11-25T06:19:58Z")
Also, tears contain lysozyme that kills germs. But really, asking why someone sheds tears when sad is like asking why we make ha-ha-ha-ha sounds when something is funny. There’s really no good explanation. It just happened that our brain and body got wired psychologically in that way. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2024, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-have-tears/1010743/7 "2024-11-25T06:28:28Z")
It’s deeper than that. Female tears contain a chemical signal that temporarily reduces testosterone levels in males, and therefore also likely reduces aggressive behaviour. > **[A chemical signal in human female tears lowers aggression in males](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10734982/)** > > Rodent tears contain social chemosignals with diverse effects, including blocking male aggression. Human tears also contain a chemosignal that lowers male testosterone, but its behavioral significance was unclear. Because reduced testosterone is ... ---
**Author:** ![Loggins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/74df32/32.png) [@Loggins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loggins)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2024, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-have-tears/1010743/8 "2024-11-25T06:58:40Z")
Omg that was interesting ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2024, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-have-tears/1010743/9 "2024-11-25T19:53:38Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > asking why we make ha-ha-ha-ha sounds when something is funny It’s been speculated that overt laughter serves as a signal of deescalated aggression, sort of an all clear. Suppose you and a few other protohumans are hiding from a group of rivals. A twig snaps and everyone scatters into the darkness. You hear a commotion and shouting. If there’s laughter next, you can stop fleeing and return to camp ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2024, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-have-tears/1010743/10 "2024-11-26T03:33:39Z")
> [@Loggins](#): > > faking tears, im sure only actors can do that. I can do it. It’s not that hard. ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2024, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-have-tears/1010743/11 "2024-11-26T06:42:08Z")
True, all of my ex’s have been actresses. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2024, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-have-tears/1010743/12 "2024-11-26T12:33:55Z")
Production of tear in excess of what the nasolacrimal duct can carry away for us to swallow is why. That excess production happens when the glandular tissue is hyperactive in response to various triggers. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2024, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-have-tears/1010743/13 "2024-11-26T15:19:39Z")
They lubricate our food. Oh, sorry, I’m actually a crocodile. Never mind. ---
**Author:** ![Loggins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/74df32/32.png) [@Loggins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loggins)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2024, 10:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-have-tears/1010743/14 "2024-12-02T10:31:38Z")
I dont cry often, but when i do twice a year, it comes in buckets. I still wonder why, despite all the replies