While your eyes don't literally turn black when you're angry, they can appear darker due to pupil dilation.
Here's why:
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Pupil Dilation: When you experience strong emotions like anger, your body's "fight or flight" response kicks in. This is controlled by the sympathetic nervous system. One consequence is that your pupils dilate, allowing more light into your eyes.
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Appearance of Darker Eyes: Because the pupils enlarge, the black area in the center of your eye takes up a larger proportion of your visible eye surface. This can create the illusion of your eyes appearing significantly darker, almost black, especially in individuals with lighter colored irises.
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It's an Illusion: It's important to remember that the colored part of your eye (the iris) doesn't actually change color. It's the change in the size of your pupil that alters the overall appearance, making your eyes look darker. The iris color remains the same.
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Not Exclusive to Anger: Pupil dilation isn't solely triggered by anger. It can also be caused by other factors, including:
- Fear
- Excitement
- Pain
- Drug use
- Low light conditions
- Certain medications
In summary, while your eyes don't physically turn black when angry, the pupil dilation that occurs due to intense emotions can make them appear darker, sometimes dramatically so.
