text: why do we produce tears when upset?   most mammals will produce tears in response to extreme pain or other stimuli, but crying as an emotional reaction is considered by many to be a uniquely human phenomenon, possibly due to humans' advanced self-awareness. some studies suggest that elephants and gorillas may cry as well.  in nearly all cultures, crying is seen as a specific act associated with tears trickling down the cheeks and accompanied by characteristic sobbing sounds. emotional triggers are most often anger and grief, but crying can also be triggered by sadness, joy, fear, humor, etc.  in many cultures, crying is associated with babies and children. some cultures consider crying to be undignified and infantile, casting aspersion on those who cry publicly. in most western cultures, it is more socially acceptable for women to cry in public than men, but this is certainly not true for all human cultures.  an insincere display of grief or dishonest remorse is called crocodile tears, from the ancient anecdote that crocodiles would pretend to weep in order to lure prey [2].  many religions describe gods or prophets as crying:  the shortest verse in the bible (in the king james version of the bible and some other english translations) is simply: "jesus wept."  jade is sometimes known as "tears of the buddha".  the qur'an describes muhammad crying, and proclaiming: "this is an expression of the tenderness and compassion, which the lord hath put into the hearts of his servants."  the incas believed that silver was the "tears of the moon".   my readings