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Tears...What purpose do they serve ?
Socio-psychological aspects of crying.

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Tears...What purpose do they serve ?

Machiveli
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Posted 03/27/05 - 02:38 AM:	#11
It is pretty clear that there would always be evolutionary advantage in tears cleaning the eyes. Why can't the emotional aspects just be accidental? btw do other animals cry? Yauning is another interesting example, it is likely (as in has clear evolutionary advantage) it developed as a reflex action when the animal is not getting enough oxygen. Since poor breathing is co-incident with tired ness it later became a social signal for primate groups to go to sleep. However I stongly urge you to see that there is a danger of functionalism in general. You must be very careful about ascribing intention to natural objects. Edited by Machiveli on 03/27/05 - 02:48 AM
Have your fun, feel self important. I really don't care anymore

zOOmz
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Posted 03/27/05 - 10:23 AM:	#12
Things to consider: Men, more than women, are brought up to withhold emotion. They need to appear strong and in charge, and crying is not compatible with that behavior. That could be a factor in why men don't live as long as women because they internalize emotion and it builds up stress. Women are taught that it is okay to be emotional, okay to cry, and even use it to their advantage at times like children do. I would be interested to know at what age the body releases the hormones of stress, an infant learns that crying brings them what they need and then later what they what, so are tears partially a manipulation trigger that the body has learned to use? (crocodile tears) do these kind of tears contain the same hormonal toxins? Tears are nothing more than a response the body has to different needs, whether it be for cleansing, the release of tension, stress, emotion, or for manipulation. z
got Zen? "Reality is that which doesn't disappear when you stop believing in it." Phillip K. Dick (thanks dimka)

Whocares9
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Posted 04/01/05 - 12:31 AM:	#13
zOOmz wrote: Things to consider: Men, more than women, are brought up to withhold emotion. They need to appear strong and in charge, and crying is not compatible with that behavior. That could be a factor in why men don't live as long as women because they internalize emotion and it builds up stress. Women are taught that it is okay to be emotional, okay to cry, and even use it to their advantage at times like children do. I would be interested to know at what age the body releases the hormones of stress, an infant learns that crying brings them what they need and then later what they what, so are tears partially a manipulation trigger that the body has learned to use? (crocodile tears) do these kind of tears contain the same hormonal toxins? Tears are nothing more than a response the body has to different needs, whether it be for cleansing, the release of tension, stress, emotion, or for manipulation. z Stress is a pain-full emotion but I do not think it kills man quicker. If that was true I would have been dead a long time ago.
The truth is what I want.

Luc
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Posted 04/02/05 - 04:25 AM:	#14
The article linked below answers several of the questions raised here. Not all of the things in the article are relevant, but it's useful overall. http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/08/27/1061...

Blind Philosopher
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Posted 02/28/08 - 11:36 AM:	#15
I believe crying is a physical expression from our sub-conscious. It is a submission of the soul to a new found truth that makes a huge impact on one's whole self in which perspectives are changed, sometimes forever. A deep realization that things have changed. Tears themselves are used by the unconscious to symbolize (as water being the life giver)the death of 'things as they were'. This can refer to emotional (sad & happy) & physical issues. This ability of our subconscious to physically express itself symbolically is a clear interaction between our subconscious and our consciousness.
In searching out the truth be ready for the unexpected, for it is difficult to find and puzzling when you find it.

Dichotomy
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Posted 05/10/08 - 06:12 AM:	#16
Blind Philosopher wrote: I believe crying is a physical expression from our sub-conscious. It is a submission of the soul to a new found truth that makes a huge impact on one's whole self in which perspectives are changed, sometimes forever. A deep realization that things have changed. Tears themselves are used by the unconscious to symbolize (as water being the life giver)the death of 'things as they were'. This can refer to emotional (sad & happy) & physical issues. This ability of our subconscious to physically express itself symbolically is a clear interaction between our subconscious and our consciousness. I agree that this is generally true. But aren't there different types of tears? But generally yes, you may fall off a bike and cry and learn an important lesson, and you may cry because of something much more profound, something that you always thought may be true that actually becomes true and does change your behaviour. Crying can be croc tears, truth tears, fear tears, joy, anger, onions, etc. Tears are probably controlled by the same regions of the brain that control love and fear reactions?
The man who comes back through the Door in the Wall will never be quite the same as the man who went out. He will be wiser but less sure, happier but less self-satisfied, humbler in acknowledging his ignorance yet better equipped to understand the relationship of words to things, of systematic reasoning to the unfathomable mystery which it tries, forever vainly, to comprehend. - Aldous Huxley

Lex
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Posted 05/10/08 - 12:27 PM:	#17
Crying is merely an expression of self-pity and a sign of poor self control.

Epilogas
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Posted 05/10/08 - 09:21 PM:	#18
Self control for it's own sake implies self rejection. So there is time to cry and time to suppress. It's ok to cry when you should suppress. Becouse crying means you care as opposed to not giving a fuck.

Lex
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Posted 05/10/08 - 09:34 PM:	#19
Only action is proof of "caring". Crying has 0 intrinsic worth.

Benkei
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Posted 05/14/08 - 12:30 AM:	#20
Crying has no intrinsic worth to Lex and it's an expression of self-pity and a sign of poor self control. Do you also care to elaborate why or are you going to continue to claim things as true and insist on them being true just because you feel like it? One wonders what Lex's level of self control would be when we drop an anvil on his foot.
- How are you doing? - I'm doing good. - No, Superman is doing Good, you're doing well. You need to brush up on your grammar.

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