Anything that moves someone emotionally — hearing a baby say her first word, finishing a feel-good TV series that you wished had never ended, or reading a breakup text — can bring on tears. In fact, ...

Crying as an expression of emotion appears to be uniquely human behavior. Other animals may tear up because of irritants in their eyes, but only humans shed tears at times of extreme sadness or joy.

Good news, bad news, a rough day, a scary movie, a poignant memory, a nostalgic smell—these are all things that can prompt a salty tear to trickle down your cheek. The sensation is quick to sneak up ...

We've all been there: watching a movie when suddenly your eyes well up, or hearing a song that sends tears streaming down ...

No feeling can quite match the one of a good cry, and there’s science to back this up. Studies have shown that crying releases oxytocin and endogenous opioids, also known as endorphins. These ...

Terminator: Why do you cry? John Connor: You mean people? Terminator: Yes. John Connor: I don't know. We just cry. You know. When it hurts. Terminator: Pain causes it? John Connor: Uh-uh, no, it's ...

In 2013, researchers led by Paul Rozin, a professor of psychology at the University of Pennsylvania, published a paper on “hedonic reversal,” a form of “benign masochism” in which people take pleasure ...

“Crocodile tears,” a phrase that has targeted many politicians, is used to describe “a display of superficial or false sorrow or anguish about something that we don't really care about.” ...