Why Do You Cry?

Even though you are not aware of it, there are tears in your eyes all the time even when you’re not crying. These tears are washing your eyes constantly, bathing them in a salty fluid made by the lachrymal, or tear, glands.

Normally, this amount of fluid is so small, it can drain off into the two small tubes, the lachrymal ducts, at the inner corners of your eyes, and from there, into your nose. However, if you get hurt or are upset by something, your tear glands make so much of the salty fluid that it can’t possibly all flow into the lachrymal ducts. So the teardrops spill from your eyes.

Only people cry, animals never do! Animals have tears, but their tears are used only to wash their eyes!