# Why does a sad/happy event induce tears? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 1, 2003, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-a-sad-happy-event-induce-tears/185642 "2003-07-01T19:48:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![omni-not](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8dc957/32.png) [@omni-not](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/omni-not)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2003, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-a-sad-happy-event-induce-tears/185642/1 "2003-07-01T19:48:09Z")
It is common knowledge that, physiologically, tears lubricate the eyes. But why do we cry in the face of a sad or happy event? ---
**Author:** ![omni-not](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8dc957/32.png) [@omni-not](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/omni-not)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2003, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-a-sad-happy-event-induce-tears/185642/2 "2003-07-01T23:08:12Z")
More than three hours and still no reply. I think I’m about to cry… ---
**Author:** ![Scupper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Scupper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scupper)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2003, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-a-sad-happy-event-induce-tears/185642/3 "2003-07-01T23:16:24Z")
I’d like to know this, too. I’ve heard some vague notions, but never any thing resembling a solid theory. ---
**Author:** ![bonzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/45deac/32.png) [@bonzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bonzer)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2003, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-a-sad-happy-event-induce-tears/185642/4 "2003-07-01T23:20:33Z")
Darwin devoted all of [Chapter VI](http://pages.britishlibrary.net/charles.darwin3/expression/expression06.htm) of his [_The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals_](http://pages.britishlibrary.net/charles.darwin3/expression/expression_intro.htm) (1872) to a discussion of weeping from sadness. And [Chapter VIII](http://pages.britishlibrary.net/charles.darwin3/expression/expression08.htm) covers laughing, but see especially the passages around p209 in it for his comments on the similarities. ---
**Author:** ![omni-not](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8dc957/32.png) [@omni-not](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/omni-not)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2003, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-a-sad-happy-event-induce-tears/185642/5 "2003-07-01T23:31:07Z")
way cool! I’m now weeping with joy. Some good bedside reading. Thanks again. ---
**Author:** ![omni-not](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8dc957/32.png) [@omni-not](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/omni-not)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2003, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-a-sad-happy-event-induce-tears/185642/6 "2003-07-01T23:32:46Z")
perhaps Desmond Morris has written on this subject as well. ---
**Author:** ![johncole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5f9b8f/32.png) [@johncole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johncole)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2003, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-a-sad-happy-event-induce-tears/185642/7 "2003-07-03T17:51:16Z")
IIRC, chromatographic analysis of tears from weeping (emotional tears) reveals the presence of many chemicals (hormones, enzymes, and neuropeptides) Tears resulting from irritation to the eye (corneal washing/cleaning) have much lower levels. I have heard it suggested that this is a mechanism to reduce the levels of such emotion-related substances in the body, and is a part of the reason that we feel better “after a good cry”. On the other hand, it may just mean that the body has a much higher level of all that stuff when we are emotional. All I could find in Desmond Morris was a reference to _crying_ as an infantile distress signal, and _weeping_ as a consequence of emotional disturbance.