Who partakes in another’s joys is a more humane character than he who partakes in his griefs.

Sympathy in trouble is common; genuine pleasure at somebody else’s good fortune is not. Sitting with a friend who is suffering costs you an evening and confirms your own standing, while being glad about their promotion asks you to set aside the small comparison your mind makes automatically. The second is the harder test, and it is the one friendships quietly fail.

When the next piece of good news arrives from someone you know, notice the first thing that moves in you. Then send the message anyway, specific and warm, and stay long enough to hear the details.