We humans may have evolved tears that do more than mere eye-moistening as a means of survival. Evolutionary biologist Oren Hasson suggested that we may have used tears to protect us from predators by making it harder to tell where we were gazing. Or, Hasson wondered, could it be that we evolved emotional tears as a way to show others that we were vulnerable, that we would prefer to make peace? When most people see a crying face, they feel an urge to ask what is wrong, to offer help or empathy. It could be that emotional tears signalled our willingness to trust and become bonded into supportive, protective communities. And crying when we felt fearful or vulnerable or when we felt a sense of unity could then have developed into the kind of emotional crying we all do now and then.
