Happy tears a form of emotional homeostasis

Tears are usually seen as a sign of sadness or pain, but it's not uncommon for people to cry during life's most joyful moments: weddings, births, reunions, sporting triumphs, or even just an unexpected act of kindness.

- MICHELLE SPEAR

These 'happy tears' seem contradictory, but they offer a fascinating window into how the human brain handles intense emotion.

Crying is a complex biological response to emotional overload — and it doesn't discriminate between good and bad feelings. Whether triggered by grief or elation, tears are often the result of our brain attempting to process more than it can manage in the moment.