Why do babies cry? And what’s your amygdala got to do with it?

Have you boarded a plane, notice someone carrying a baby, and immediately think: I hope they’re not sitting next to me!

We came back from Fiji once, on a full plane of families returning from school holidays.  Try as hard as I could to be empathetic and understanding, it was hard to stay calm as the baby next to us cried for the whole 4 hour flight.

So why is it that they cry? And why is it that either as parents or non-parents,  we react the way we do?

Why do babies cry?

Knowing why might help but I’m not sure it will do as well as the headphones and loud music did for me on my flight.