Posts tagged Social Bonding
The Incredible Human, Part Seven: Emotional Tears

Emotional crying is one of humanity's most mysterious and fascinating traits. Unlike any other species, humans shed tears in response to emotional events—a phenomenon that has puzzled scientists, philosophers, and poets for centuries. From moments of heartbreak to overwhelming joy, emotional tears are deeply embedded in the human experience. They reveal much about who we are as social, empathetic, and moral beings. In this exploration of emotional crying, we will uncover its origins, functions, and the reasons why this behavior is so uniquely human.

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The Incredible Human Part Three: Music

In part three of my series about the incredible human, I am going to talk about our ability to create, interact, and enjoy music. Music is found in all human cultures and thus appears to be part of our biology and not simply a cultural phenomenon. Although many animals can perceive the components of music the way we do, at least some also enjoy similar aspects of sounds, musicality is strictly human. We think of birds as singing, but they are merely communicating using complex patterns of rhythm and pitch, much the way humans employ intonation while speaking. For instance, we may speak more quickly and louder when excited. Additionally, we raise the pitch of the final word when asking a question. But music composition, performance, and appreciation are strictly human phenomena. This post will focus on how music may have been with us since before speech and may be credited with helping us connect as social beings, among other benefits.

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