I asked 10 random people on the street the following question: "Are you about to cry?", then I waited and stared at them. 3 of them started crying

towel42 · 2 years

More details, please. What kind of people were crying, what tone of voice did you use, how is your appearance etc.

tomonome · 2 years

Well, I know that if someone came up to me right now and asked if I was about to cry, I totally would. But I am kinda depressed now. Maybe 30% of people are depressed?

OGLothar · 2 years

Next time: "Are you about to give me $20?"

jeffp12 · 2 years

Is there some kind of psychological explanation to this? This reminds me of something I saw on QI, Stephen Fry explained that somebody (I can't remember the details all that well) sent a letter or a telegram to ten or so of his friends that said "They're onto us, flee" or something like that. 9 of the 10 friends were either confused or got that it was a joke. One of their friends disappeared and was never seen again. Now that I think of it, that just might be the best cover up for a murder in history.

eric22vhs · 2 years

A cop sort of did this to me when I got pulled over in december for making a rolling stop at a stop sign. She, and her partner, said a lot of other weird stuff that I think was meant to intimidate me into admitting I was driving under the influence of something when I clearly wasn't.

Amongst things like yelling "How many drinks have you had!?" when I first rolled down the window, making me look her in the eyes and repeat the sentence "I have never in my life smoked marijuana." and the other cop interrupting me while I was trying to answer one of his questions to say "Why are you nervous? You're not a bad person, no reason to be nervous.", one of them asked me in a very condescending voice if I had been crying earlier.

Turil · 2 years

Many people believe society wants them to repress their emotions, especially sadness. Some times this gets to the point where people are utterly full of repressed sadness that it only takes a small reason (such as an encouragement) to pass the tipping point and let loose with a flood of feelings.

For those three people, if this is true, then you gave them that small nudge that allowed them to express themselves the way they've been needing to for a while now.

You did a good thing!

aintitashame · 2 years

Did you ask them why they started crying when you asked them that? Need some more details here, you're not telling us anything.

radioprotector · 2 years

Were you holding a sharpened spoon at the time? It's the kind of thing some people would feel threatened by, but most would laugh off.

molslaan · 2 years

My to do list for tomorrow. Ask random pretty girl on street the following question: "Are you about to masturbate?". Report back to reddit.

Shorel · 2 years

Not scientific enough.

Please ask 1000 people.

(giggles)

carlsaganrocks · 2 years

I freely admit what I did was not scientific at all. I'm sure I was biased in the people I chose to ask. My whole point is, I wanted some of you to try asking some strangers as well and report back to see if there is some correlation. If there is, then perhaps it would be worthwhile for some real scientist to do some controlled tests.

christopherness · 2 years

I think this works because there are always people around us going through some kind of crises.

dmg44 · 2 years

So what did you do after they cried? Did you console them?

cdemps62 · 2 years

Did you then comfort them...

der2050 · 2 years

where did this "happen"?

sandrc2002 · 2 years

you must be one ugly motherfucker.

Also, assuming you're being truthful, were these people children, by any chance?

capnspaulding · 2 years

3/10 people you run into on the street are probably jobless and soon to be homeless. Might have something to do with it

joylent_green · 2 years

really, random people? what do you know about them? did you say anything else to them? how do you know they were random, maybe you subconsciously picked people who looked sad? this is very interesting! :)

modestokun · 2 years

What are your Crimes>?!

btnheazy03 · 2 years

did you give them a hug afterwards

gregorymichael · 2 years

The general sentiment in this thread is that crying is a bad thing. Why are we as a society so afraid of this emotional expression?

TortoiseT · 2 years

There is an interesting psychological study in there but err what did the other 7 do?

Mozzananasom · 2 years

tsk! asking this question in a testicular cancer support group doesn't give statistically relevant results.

[deleted] · 2 years

I'm testing a theory of my own. Are you Canadian?

Splitzy · 2 years

I'm curious. How did you choose whom to talk to? I mean, did you just ask whomever walked by next? Do you think you tended to go after people that actually looked a little sad? Did you only ask people who were by themselves?

jngrow · 2 years

I guess I'll have to assume the best, but just for scientific etiquette, your sample was probably not random, and had selection bias (picking people who looked like they were going to cry, consciously or not).

jroller · 2 years

Seems a simple enough experiment. I'm curious if others could repeat with the similar results. Not curious enough to talk to people on the street, myself, of course.

zephris · 2 years

You probably just did those people a favor...

Upvoted. Sheer bravery and wonder although I find the results disturbing.

beltenebros · 2 years

i wasn't crying - i'm making lasagna, for one.

MondrosenPrime · 2 years

This reminds me of that guy who put up "FREE HUG" sign. If I do that in my country, people would give me confused and suspicious look. Where I live makes me sad. :<

dkinmn · 2 years

Lies.

WebZen · 2 years

There is something called "re-evaluation co-counseling" (a grass roots therapy method) that says that people who need to emote will do so when they capture the "aware attention of another human being." This would explain that nicely.

rudie48 · 2 years

you monster

sun_of_sun · 2 years

Were you standing outside a funeral home or graveyard or unemployment office or court of law or a meeting of citizens discussing friday's supreme court verdict?

PropMonkey · 2 years

You must have good peripherals to be able to stare at 10 people at the same time.

MrComplainyPants · 2 years

The fact that you also felt like crying possibly had an effect too. People are empathetic.

karlomac · 2 years

stupid mups

drmoroe30 · 2 years

I promised myself I wouldn't cry today....

shouldawouldacoulda · 2 years

I happen to know a few girls that would start crying just because of being scared from some creeper staring into their soul! You could say "Are you about to pee your pants?" and they would start crying as well.

Maristic · 2 years

Wow, this has been up 21 hours, and no one has mentioned suggestion.

At least some of the people will cry exactly because if you say “You look sad; Are you about to cry?”, some people will

Visiualize themselves sad
Imagine themselves crying

and that will push them towards tears.

Here's my explanation for why it works: Evolution is parsimonious. It's just not efficient to use two completely different parts of the brain to imagine (or remember) stuff and to experience it in reality. Thus, whenever we imagine or pretend, there is leakage. If I get you to remember being sad, it will either make you sad, or you won't remember the sadness very well because you're currently happy.

You might suppose that people prone to this kind of bleedthrough have a problem, but remember, it has advantages too. Empathy for others is closely related. Also, if you hurt yourself and want to to stop hurting, it's actually pretty cool if “pretending it doesn't hurt” actually stops if from really hurting.

wabbitsdo · 2 years

Psycho.

mrgames2 · 2 years

You should try other test subject than 7 year old children left alone by their parents at the bus stop..

agbortol · 2 years

THIS IS NOT A STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT FINDING

3 also brings up an intersting aspect of human interaction. Is sadness that transferable that being sad and asking sad questions can make someone cry?

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