Laughing And Crying

[Super Duck]

What is to laugh or cry? What is going on inside our bodies during these processes, both biochemically and in our central nervous system? Why do humans do both while no other animal on the planet does either (at least not to display happiness and sadness)? Why does laughter feel good? I've been intrigued about this for a while now; I recently saw a guy crying on TV, and I nearly burst into tears myself with such heart-wrenching sympathy and sadness. I couldn't explain it. I can't remember the last time I cried but this man brought me to the edge. Once I started questioning the act of crying I began thinking about laughter as well. So, who can answer my questions, or add anything else?

[Pyrofan1]

What is to laugh http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laughter or cry? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tears I've been intrigued about this for a while now; I recently saw a guy crying on TV, and I nearly burst into tears myself with such heart-wrenching sympathy and sadness. I couldn't explain it. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Empathy

[Kushna Mufeed]

What I find most peculiar about these two actions, which most would consider to be opposites, is the fact that they are so similar. Think about it. Haven't you laughed so hard you cried?

[Tyson]

The good feeling you get from laughter seems to also be present during a good sob. I'd guess there's a chemical release in the brain, maybe endorphins, but I'm not gonna look into. Gotta have some mystery to life.

[Original Poster]

What I find most peculiar about these two actions, which most would consider to be opposites, is the fact that they are so similar. Think about it. Haven't you laughed so hard you cried? I've definitely felt so horrible I've burst out laughing in between bouts of crying but I haven't yet been so happy I've cried.

[Man of Shred]

Laughing and crying is really meaningless. the only thing that really matters is: Crying While Eating!!!

[Kushna Mufeed]

Curse you and your "We're sorry, this video is no longer available." video!

[Serkat]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mirror_neuron

[Super Duck]

Thankies y'all!

[Universal Mind]

Laughing and crying, you know it's the same release. - Joni Mitchell http://youtube.com/watch?v=7o4x3UzofUY Interestingly, the only time I can recall I have ever cried over something positive, other than mere tear shedding from laughing so hard, was when I was listening to a Joni Mitchell song while driving in the car. I was really, really high. (not that I should have been)

[Super Duck]

Well crying, in a sense, is a uplifting emotion. At least, it helps you express and release your sadness and because of that, it feels good. SO there are not a great deal of differences.

[Original Poster]

I've cried in wonder and astonishment before, too.

[Half/Dreaming]

Laughter is the "reset" button on human beings. It happens when something that doesn't make sense to a human happens. Therefore we deny it and pass if off with as a joke. To tell the truth, it makes us look stupid. I'll go more in depth if you anyone wants me to.

[Super Duck]

I do. I was hoping for a discussion in this thread but I've mostly got Wikipedia links, which I could have found myself, no ungratefulness intended.

[Xaqaria]

Why are you so sure that animals don't laugh or cry for the same reasons we do (emotional ones)? Haven't you ever had a dog?

[Universal Mind]

Why are you so sure that animals don't laugh or cry for the same reasons we do (emotional ones)? Haven't you ever had a dog? Cows laugh.

[Kushna Mufeed]

Really? I've never heard of any kind of animal laughing before. I've always wondered what it would sound like if my cat was ticklish.

[Idolfan]

This is interesting! I never before considered that laughing and crying could be so similar. I actually quite enjoy crying (on my own), it's like a little brain orgasm. Can't quite explain it but it's definetely an emotional release. If you look up tears or just that Wikipedia link it also mentions that emotional tears contain stress hormones. Do they come straight from the bloodstream or something? It's beginning to make sense. Maybe the reason it's only humans is because god knew we were getting smart enough to realise how much of a stinky, smelly, putrid, rotten piece of shit with hot, steaming pieces of corn sticking out of it the world is so he gave us a device to releive emotion so that we wouldn't suffer as much. He also gave us laughter; the ability to get pleasure out of other people's suffering or the senseless mistakes in his world. Blimey, this is almost enough evidence to make me believe in him . So why IS it only humans? I don't get it

[psychology student]

What I find most peculiar about these two actions, which most would consider to be opposites, is the fact that they are so similar. Think about it. Haven't you laughed so hard you cried? So when my pet dog died, I was actually laughing.

[Kushna Mufeed]

Well, what do ya know? A quick search on youtube found me this:

[Super Duck]

Why are you so sure that animals don't laugh or cry for the same reasons we do (emotional ones)? Haven't you ever had a dog? I'm talking about tears. Dogs don't cry tears ... at least mine doesn't. But I see what you mean. They do cry when they're sad. And before someone says it, hyenas do NOT laugh. They make a noise similar to a laugh though. However, this noise is just for the purposes of communication and the like, not soley to express humour. But wow! Those rats are actually laughing!

[Kushna Mufeed]

So when my pet dog died, I was actually laughing. Uh, no. I'm talking about laughing so hysterically that tears fall from your eyes. Honestly, go watch a comedy. I said laughing so hard that you cry, not crying so hard that you laugh.

[Sandform]

There was the bear that starved itself to death after its mate died, there are dogs that basically wail out when something is troubling them. In a book called "Mapping the Mind" I read that pain is directly related to emotions. This is why when your mind is on something else you wont feel pain as much. Have you ever seen that video with that woman who walked around a store with a knife in her back and never knew? Anyways, while animals may not produce tears for pain, it has nothing to do with their intelligence (I only mention this because someone on the Internet as I was browsing for answers seemed to think that crying with tears is related to intelligence ). However there do seem to be at least some animals that cry for the same reasons...or at least the same stimuli. There is a marine mammal called the Dogong which lives in the Indian Ocean who sheds real tears when in trouble or pain. Another note, my dog showed signs of depression, and would lay down outside and not even bother to swat the flies away, on some days, and then other days he would be chewing his ass to get the bastards away. I would cover laughter but that is useless since it has already been covered. Humans cry and laugh for specific reasons, probably communicative, you might say, then why do you cry or laugh alone? Because the "reason" for it may not be the same as the...well the best word I can say is "calling" for it. There is no reason to think other animals don't have the same "calling" with a different result. We happened to have developed crying/laughing, other animals have things like sweat, shrieks, movements, color change, etc.

[Super Duck]

In a book called "Mapping the Mind" I read that pain is directly related to emotions. This is why when your mind is on something else you wont feel pain as much. Have you ever seen that video with that woman who walked around a store with a knife in her back and never knew? Yeah, that's true. When I was a kid, if I bust my knee open or something while I was playing it always hurt more if I rolled up my trouser leg and saw the blood or the cut. That's some intriguing stuff there Sandform.

[Tyson]

Well, what do ya know? A quick search on youtube found me this: That's the best video ever. Would it work with a hamster? My hamsters usually bite.