Sophie T

“Emotional tears (as opposed to reflexive tears such as those from chopping onions) serve a number of social functions such as emphasizing the depth and sincerity of our emotions, and attracting attention, sympathy, and support in times of danger, distress, or need. But they also serve an important psychological function, which is to tell us that a particular problem or situation actually means a lot to us, and that we need to make the time and effort to address or at least process it—opening out, in due course, on a healthier attitude or clearer perspective. As markers of strong emotion, emotional tears signal moments of existential importance in our lives, from sharing a first kiss to grieving the loss of our partner. Our tears reveal us to ourselves, and, in so doing, make us more like ourselves—which is why we should be encouraging and interpreting them rather than holding them back.”
― Neel Burton, Hypersanity: Thinking Beyond Thinking