Why Humans Like to Cry: Tragedy, Evolution, and the Brain

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Michael Trimble (Emeritus Professor of Behavioural Neurology, Institute of Neurology, London)

Why Humans Like to Cry

Tragedy, Evolution, and the Brain

Michael Trimble (Emeritus Professor of Behavioural Neurology, Institute of Neurology, London)

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English

Oxford University Press
10 September 2014

Psychology; Psychology: emotions; Popular science

Human beings are the only species to have evolved the trait of emotional crying. We weep at tragedies in our lives and in those of others - remarkably even when they are fictional characters in film, opera, music, novels, and theatre. Why have we developed art forms - most powerfully, music - which move us to sadness and tears? This question forms the backdrop to Michael Trimble's discussion of emotional crying, its physiology, and its evolutionary implications. His exploration examines the connections with other distinctively human features: the development of language, self-consciousness, religious practices, and empathy. Neuroanatomy and neurophysiology of the brain have uncovered unique human characteristics; mirror neurones, for example, explain why we unconsciously imitate actions and behaviour. Whereas Nietzsche argued that artistic tragedy was born with the ancient Greeks, Trimble places its origins far earlier. His neurophysiological and evolutionary insights shed fascinating light onto this enigmatic part of our humanity.

By: Michael Trimble (Emeritus Professor of Behavioural Neurology Institute of Neurology London)
Imprint: Oxford University Press
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 195mm, Width: 130mm, Spine: 16mm
Weight: 180g
ISBN: 9780198713494
ISBN 10: 0198713495
Pages: 240
Publication Date: 10 September 2014
Audience: College/higher education , Professional and scholarly , General/trade , Primary , Undergraduate
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Michael Trimble, Emeritus Professor of Behavioural Neurology, Institute of Neurology, London Michael Trimble is emeritus professor of Behavioural Neurology at the Institute of Neurology, Queen Square, London. His research for many years has been on the behavioural consequences of neurological disorders, especially epilepsy and movement disorders. He has a lifelong research interest in neuroanatomy, hence his ability to explore the neuroanatomical basis of crying. However, he is also a psychiatrist with much clinical experience of mood disorders, and had investigated the latter in patients using neurological techniques, such as brain imaging. He is the author of The Soul in theBrain (Johns Hopkins, 2007).

Reviews for Why Humans Like to Cry: Tragedy, Evolution, and the Brain

Trimble ambitiously cracks the surface of a complex human process. Scientific American This is a stimulating adventurous book. Daily Telegraph Trimble earned my respect for his erudition and ambition ... an engaging storyteller. Randolph Cornelius, New Scientist Fascinating volume ... an insightful account ... offers a profound glimpse into the human heart as well as deep insight into the role of art in our lives. Guardian