What if the Hokey Pokey IS what it's all About???

Natioal Tear Gland Appreciation Week

So, I bet if the question, "Where do tears come from?" was on Family Feud, most people would guess that they come from the tear ducts (those tiny holes on the inside of your bottom lid, nearest to your nose). Well, guess what? That's where the tears drain into; they actually come from you "lacrimal" (or "tear") glands, located all around your upper lid (side note: the tears drain into your nasal cavity, which is why you have to blow your nose when you cry - thus, when you blow your nose while crying, you are actually "blowing tears!").

So, why are they important? Why do we cry? I got mixed messages during my undergrad work in Psychology. Some profs (keen on "evolutionary psychology") saw tears as an adaptive communication mechanism just like any other facial expression; an infant crying elicits a helping response from a caregiver, just like me smiling at a friend elicits a response from him/her. Others seem to be more perplexed by tears - how did a system which normally functions to cleanse the eye and protect it from foreign bodies develop the secondary function of allowing us to express sadness/happiness/frustration? If we're sad or happy or whatnot, isn't the facial expression alone enough? Why cry?

To me, the question, "Why do we cry?" is one of those great, open-ended ones (like "nature versus nurture") that I expect will always be in debate. I'm always surprised by how similar a good cry feels to a good laugh, on a physiological level. Here's a neat article about this topic: http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/08/27/1061663846142.html

PS. For those of you who thought to wonder why this topic springs to my mind the day before I go to Europe and Suraj and I go on independent paths, I say "bravo" to you for your astute observational prowess! | posted by Cheryl, 10/17/2005 01:17:00 PM