Why do humans cry?
So babies could be found by their mothers.
Clearly it evolved in an environment where it was safe to leave the babies unattended.
Otherwise crying would be the dinner bell for the predatory cats.
Arthur
They cry for many reasons, some have already been discussed, but another reason is because they are sad which can be brought on by many reasons as well. Death, the loss of a loved one and watching someone in pain would be a few examples of this.
Cute.
(And quite funny, even at the risk of bringing the fem-nazis out from their barracks)
I agree with you cosmic, but how do these responses convey an evolutionary advantage, in your opinion? I.e., Why would these reactions make our species more likely to survive over the long run? Or are you saying that they are merely social constructs similar to other "rituals", such as some of the religious mumbo-jumbo people practice?They cry for many reasons, some have already been discussed, but another reason is because they are sad which can be brought on by many reasons as well. Death, the loss of a loved one and watching someone in pain would be a few examples of this.
So am I, depending on how it's defined. It's just that I've been jumped more than once on these boards for what seemed to be a fairly innocuous comment. But I'm an equal opportunity smart ass, I don't discriminate about which groups I insult - including the socioeconomic groups I happen to be a member of.I'm a feminist, I don't have a problem with it.
Great question! This adds a whole new dimension to the question. To be honest, I hadn't even thought about this aspect. It's even more perplexing, wonder why in the world we do that?But then why do people cry at weddings and graduations or when they see their child for the first time and other "happy" occassions?
As I said before, it is social signalling. We cry as children when we are hurt, since that is needed to call for adult attention when it is required. The more independent we are, the less we cry. Thus, as we mature, the tendency to cry reduces, as that form of social signal becomes less needed.
However, there are some situations when crying as a social signal in adulthood is valuable. When mourning, to show we are, in fact, sensitive and caring, and therefore worthwhile beings. Crying at weddings is a very female thing, and I suspect it is a bonding signal between those women.
A woman crying also has a very definite effect on men, making the male more protective. Again - a social signal.
I agree with you cosmic, but how do these responses convey an evolutionary advantage, in your opinion? I.e., Why would these reactions make our species more likely to survive over the long run? Or are you saying that they are merely social constructs similar to other "rituals", such as some of the religious mumbo-jumbo people practice?
It's a form of communication. Only social species communicate, although in many non-social species mothers and babies may communicate with each other.Why do humans cry?
In a non-social species, the baby tells the mother that something is wrong. In a pack-social species, one member of the pack tells the others that he is injured; the pack mates depend on and care for one another for the strength of the pack, so they will try to figure out how to help. In a herd-social species the level of care between the herd mates is minimal, but still if one tells his neighbor that he's standing on his foot, he will move.Rather, I'm wondering what sort of evolutionary advantage(s) could be conveyed through crying?
Most pack-social species communicate with their pack-mates in some way. No other species has as well-developed vocal organs as humans so I doubt that any can approach our ability to cry, but many can whine or whimper or somehow make it known that something is wrong.On a related note, do other animals "cry"? Even from pain?
Babies cry from birth; many actually cry at birth. It is not a learned behavior. In a sense, it's the first attempt at vocalization, which ultimately becomes speech.If so, is it common amongst many species or only a few? If we believe animals do in fact cry (in the human sense), how do we distinguish anthropomorphism from "true" crying? I suppose that an attempt could be made to explain it all as "learned" behavior brought about by behavioral influences, but that premise would tend to make one wonder if crying is universal throughout all human cultures. I mean, is there some tribe from Whacka-Whacka that has no experience whatsoever with the whole concept?
I just read an article in the Washington Post, logging the discovery of pheromones in women's tears. They cause a strong dropoff of testosterone in men, making them more likely to be sympathetic and collegial rather than romantic. Interestingly these are only found in tears that result from actual crying, rather than something like an allergy or an eye injury; they are the result of a complex central nervous system process.As another illustration, I personally believe the perceived tendency (at least amongst western cultures) for women to "cry" more often then men is a social construct, although I'm not entirely ruling out a genetic component here, either. Does anyone have any insight on this aspect?
I think the points I make above support this hypothesis.Regardless of whether this phenomenon is limited to humans, subsets thereof, or is spread across a variety of species, my main interest lies in the potential natural selection of this behavior through genetic means, and if so, why?
Really? Do you happen to have a link to this article handy or know of any others that offer scientific evidence of pheromones in humans? Last I heard, there had been no definitive studies indicating communication amongst humans via pheromones.I just read an article in the Washington Post, logging the discovery of pheromones in women's tears. They cause a strong dropoff of testosterone in men, making them more likely to be sympathetic and collegial rather than romantic. Interestingly these are only found in tears that result from actual crying, rather than something like an allergy or an eye injury; they are the result of a complex central nervous system process.
Good point, and poor phrasing on my part. Whilst this seems self-evident for infants, I was speaking primarily of the adult version. For example, many babies suck their thumbs, but this behavior tends to disappear as we grow older. Similarly, the frequency of crying may lessen in adulthood, however we all still cry from time to time, now matter how old we become. See the difference? This is where I was directing the "learned" at.Babies cry from birth; many actually cry at birth. It is not a learned behavior. In a sense, it's the first attempt at vocalization, which ultimately becomes speech.
Thanks much for your input, I tend to agree with everything you said. I was curious as to what others thought when I created the thread and your perception seems to be quite in line with my own. However, you are (not surprisingly) able to state it much more eloquently.I think the points I make above support this hypothesis.
Link? I admit I only know of this from personal experience and anecdotal tales, but...I can explain the synchronising of menstrual cycles. According to the report I read, it is actually a myth. Some researchers saw synchronising purely as a result of coincidence and jumped to conclusions.