Do Happy Tears Exist?

"Crying is not just for sad moments. It seems also to be a natural response to powerful positive emotions. Many of us have seen athletes cry tears of joy on the podium, or witnessed people getting teary-eyed at weddings, reunions, or while listening to a beautiful song. In a global survey of over 4,200 people from 30 countries, researchers found that nearly 16% of all crying episodes were associated with happy events."

"Charles Darwin, the British evolutionary biologist, notedthe incredible power of what he called "tender feelings" to evoke tears. He highlighted feelings like joy, affection, and especially compassion. For example, he described how a child might cry after their mother shows them compassion when they're hurt. He also shared stories of patients who would cry when someone simply demonstrated kindness. We see this today, too, like when a student cries at their graduation while thanking family and friends for their support."

"In my own practice, I've heard about tears over a bad hair day or a low grade on a high school quiz. In strong contrast are the more infrequent emotional situations like severe disease or the passing away of a significant other, a romantic breakup, or being rejected. Yet some of us tend to cry more when things go well rather than when they fall apart."

Crying frequently occurs during positive experiences such as sports victories, weddings, reunions, and responses to kindness or gratitude. A global survey of over 4,200 people from 30 countries found nearly 16% of crying episodes were associated with happy events. Positive tears often represent relief after a difficult journey and can arise from intense awe at natural wonders, music, or art, which produce the purest happy tears. Tender feelings like joy, affection, and compassion can evoke tears, including when children are comforted. In 2020 Janis Zickfeld classified positive tears into four categories still used by researchers.

Read at Psychology Today