A photographic study by Elad Lassry
arranged by Stuart Bailey
with an essay by Angie Keefer
In a study conducted in the early 1980s of several hundred American adults who monitored their crying habits over a thirty-day period, 45% of men, but only 6% of women, reported no emotional tears. Of those who did cry, the frequency of crying among the women was five times that of the men, with the women crying a little more often than once a week and the men crying about once a month. The average length of a cry was about six minutes. Precipitating factors were primarily interpersonal conflict and entertainment; peak crying hours are from 7pm to 10pm-- prime television-watching and movie-going time. The researchers who conducted the study speculated that suppressing tears could lead to increased risk of stress-related illnesses, as one purpose of a tear is to expel stress-induced chemicals, much like other endocrine processes-- exhaling, sweating, urinating, defecating-- that expunge toxins from the body.
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