<p>This might sound funny. But I have been wondering why do humans/primates <em>laugh</em> or <em>smile</em> when they are happy or find something funny?</p>

<p>Why don't they <em>cry</em> when they are happy and <em>laugh</em>/*smile* when they are sad?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-01-17T11:57:25.233Z
I agree that we dont usually cry when we are happy :), but often I see people wich smiling is the easier way of expressing/hidding sadness for them, dun't ask me why
Enoque Duarte
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-01-17T16:18:14.593Z
I don't think there's any significant reason, it just happens to be the way our wiring worked out, that particular facial muscle contractions are associated with particular experiences.  If we were to start mammals over again, the random mutations could have led a different direction.

What's important, and possibly selected for as social creatures, is that we can distinguish cries from smiles to infer feelings of others.  But it doesn't particularly matter what the symbol is as long as everyone knows it.  Just like an A is an arbitrary set of squiggles and only has meaning by convention.
Keegan Keplinger
<emotion>
Why do humans/primates laugh/smile when they are happy, and not cry?
Bleeding Fingers
# Why do humans/primates laugh/smile when they are happy, and not cry?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2014-01-17)

This might sound funny. But I have been wondering why do humans/primates *laugh* or *smile* when they are happy or find something funny?

Why don't they *cry* when they are happy and *laugh*/\*smile\* when they are sad?

**Tags:** emotion

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: I agree that we dont usually cry when we are happy :), but often I see people wich smiling is the easier way of expressing/hidding sadness for them, dun't ask me why  
> **username_2**: I don't think there's any significant reason, it just happens to be the way our wiring worked out, that particular facial muscle contractions are associated with particular experiences.  If we were to start mammals over again, the random mutations could have led a different direction.  What's important, and possibly selected for as social creatures, is that we can distinguish cries from smiles to infer feelings of others.  But it doesn't particularly matter what the symbol is as long as everyone knows it.  Just like an A is an arbitrary set of squiggles and only has meaning by convention.  

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