All humans cry. Some of our tears are meant to keep our eyes moist and healthy. Others clean out the eye from dust, pollens and other pollutants. Emotional tears play another role. Although triggered ...

“One must have a heart of stone not to read about the death of little Nell without laughing” was Oscar Wilde’s notorious response to the emotional onslaught of Charles Dickens’s 1841 novel, The Old ...

A new study adds to evidence suggesting that people's perceptions of others' tears as sincere or manipulative likely depend on a variety of contextual factors. The findings suggest tears may be ...

This past month in my office, I’ve seen many tears, prompting reflection on what they signify. New Year’s Eve often serves as a temporal landmark, a psychological marker that encourages intense ...

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. I write about relationships, personality, and everyday psychology. Emotional tears are a uniquely human behavior. Research ...

We feel it every once in a while: a lump in our throat, a burning in our eyes, and then warm tears welling up in them. Whether it’s joy, grief, awe, or something undefinable, the experience is ...