• Question: why do we laugh, why do we cry. how come we have emotions?

    Asked by 9hansb to Antonia, Douglas, Hugh, Matt, Tom on 14 Jun 2010 in Categories: .
    • Photo: Matthew Hurley

      Matthew Hurley answered on 13 Jun 2010:

      This is what makes us human isn’t it? In the coldest sense we have emotions because we are ‘pack’ animals – we depend upon others for stuff (food, protection etc.) and so cause others to feel good when they do things for us. Different parts of our brains are where this all happens.
      But it’s more complicated than this I think – what makes us laugh and cry depends upon our life experiences and how we’re brought up. We have emotions to bring meaning to the stuff we do each day.
      Why do you think we have emotions?

    • Photo: Antonia Hamilton

      Antonia Hamilton answered on 14 Jun 2010:

      We have emotions because we need to know what is good and bad in the world. If you trod on a pin and it didn’t hurt, how would you learn not to tread on it again? And if you cry out loud, that warns other people not to tread there either.
      Emotions like laughter are more complex, because they are social emotions that show other people what you think about them. Laughter can tell another person that you like their joke, or you want to play and socialise some more.

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