Why it's good to cry during a movie or a song

Do you already have to cry at the thought of Simba chewing on the ear of his deceased father to say ‘he really needs to wake up now‘? Certainly 92 percent of people have cried at a movie at some point. And that's nothing to be ashamed of.

Because emotionally strong people let their tears flow when they are touched by beautiful music, it turns out. Or by a beautiful movie. Crying during that movie has a lot of advantages: it makes you more social and empathetic. You really come across as a nicer person. It shows your strength: you are just a human being with emotions and that's okay too.

You can hardly do anything about it. A substance is released in your brain when you become emotional due to that one scene or that one song in that sad Christmas commercial (have you seen the one from PLUS? A hundred percent crying). Oxytocin is released in your brain and that increases the need for human contact. Your behavior becomes a bit ‘nicer’ and a bit ‘cuter’ from it. That sounds strange, but it gives you a need to cuddle and to be with the people you love. Suddenly you want to text your mother a heart and your father and sisters and friends too. You need love.

I can truly cry without problems at a commercial. After five seconds of watching ‘All you need is love’, it's already a waterfall. But also with a beautiful song on the radio in the car, I get emotional. Especially with a song from the past. And that's just how it is. I cry with pride. Because luckily, I love to think back to my childhood. Especially now that I will become a mother in a few weeks.