Crocodile Tears

It is almost a daily experience for anyone who interacts with its environment to meet people who are insincere. For so many reasons, people can say something or express a certain opinion whereas, deep in their hearts, the entire concept is the direct opposite.  

Sometimes, people deceitfully complain about what they enjoy, talk down on things they secretly desire to have. This insincerity and hypocrisy consist the concept of “Crocodile Tears’’  

 The phrase “shedding crocodile tears” is an idiomatic expression which generally describes pretense or ingenuine remorse. But why “crocodile tears”?  Why is it that it was the tear of Crocodile that was chosen for this kind of description? Why wasn’t it another creature?

There is a beautiful fact about crocodile shedding tears that makes it a perfect fit for such description. Animals generally shed tears when they are under a painful condition. But the case of crocodile is different.

Crocodile has a mechanism within its systems that makes it shed tears while devouring its prey. The Crocodile is believed to have tear ducts, and weeps for the purpose of lubricating its  eyes when it has been out of water for a while.

This means that the tears it shares doesn’t necessarily mean that it is under any painful or adverse condition, rather it is a means of maintaining its eyes condition.

When the crocodile preys on its victims, it also shed tears. This is because the process allows air to enter its sinuses and mix with tears in the tear gland and is forced out through its eyes.

Crocodile shed tears either for the purpose of keeping the eyes clean and open, or when it’s feeding. In both cases, it shed tears for the things that benefit it and what it practically enjoys. Its tears do not represent pain or remorse. This is why when someone is hypocritical or not sincere, the idiom, “shedding crocodile tears” applies.

I hope you learnt a thing from this short article. Do let me know what you think. Kindly drop your views on the comment and I will surely respond to them. It’s my pleasure to write to you again.