5.Crying 5.哭泣 Crying seems like an ordinary enough experience and something we dont really think of as strange. Yet if we really stop to contemplate whats happening—salt water dripping out of our eyes during emotional moments—it seems a little bizarre. What do tears, eyes, and emotions have to do with each other? 哭泣似乎是一件相当普通的事,我们真的不觉得这会是奇怪的行为。不过让我们停下来仔细想想——情绪激动的时候就会流泪,这似乎就有点儿奇怪了。那么,眼泪、眼睛以及情绪之间究竟有着怎样的联系呢?
One of the prevailing theories to explain human crying is put forth by Dutch psychologist Ad Vingerhoets. He argues that crying is largely a social sign that has its evolutionary roots in distress signals. Most young animals emit some type of distress sound to alert others that they need help. Its thought that crying started as a way for humans to signify their distress (through tears) without making a predator-alerting scream or other noise. Although human babies usually have audible cries, adults often shed tears with little noise. Evolutionarily, this could have been an advantageous response, since another member of the tribe would only need to glance at the crier to see he was in trouble. Interestingly, humans are the only species to emit emotional tears. Most other animals stop making distress calls after reaching adulthood.Further evidence that crying may have originated as a response to danger or trouble is that it also works in conjunction with our sympathetic nervous system (or the fight or flight system). For example, in addition to shedding tears, crying speeds up the heart rate, increases sweating, and slows breathing. Emotional tears even contain a natural painkiller, leucine enkephalin, which could partially explain why we sometimes feel better after a good cry.So, although we can nowadays cry when alone or during harmless, sappy movies, the act may have started as a method of protection. 目前较为普遍的理论是荷兰心理学家艾德·威格尔兹提出的关于哭泣的解释。他认为哭泣是从求救信号进化而成的社交信号。大多数幼小的动物都会在需要帮助的时候发出某种求救的声音。而对于人类来说,哭泣最开始只是一种表达痛苦的方式,只是流泪,而非尖叫或发出其他巨大声响。虽然人类在婴儿时期都是大声啼哭,但成年后反而只是低声抽泣了。从进化论的角度来看,这样的反应其实更具优势(因为艾德·威格尔兹认为,大多数动物成长后,将不再需要释放悲痛的信号,这可能是因为怕引来更大的危险。而比起发出巨大声响来说,哭泣反而没有那么危险)。对于亲近的人来说,一滴眼泪足以让他们知道你处于痛苦中。有趣的是,只有人类会因情绪上的原因流泪,也只有人类成年后还会流泪,其他大多数动物成年后就不再发出呼救信号了。进一步的证据表明哭泣可能是源于对危险和困难的反应,并且它还与我们的交感神经系统相关。比方说除了流泪之外,哭泣还会使心率加速、出汗增加以及呼吸减缓。情绪激动时的流泪甚至可以说是亮氨酸脑啡肽——一味天然的止痛药,这就是为什么有时候我们在哭过后反而感觉更好。这样看来,虽然我们是因为孤独或是看了悲情的电影感到难过而哭泣,但这同样也是一种自我保护的方式。
【我们日常会做的十大怪事的科学解释(下)】相关文章:
★ 爱的召唤
★ 适应力的故事
★ The day I become a mom 那天 我成为一位母亲
★ 摩苏女人的大智慧
★ 为何而生
★ Advice for Good Little Girls
最新
2020-12-21
2020-08-06
2020-07-31
2020-07-30
2020-07-30
2020-07-30