Whoever is happy will make others happy too.

Happiness as permission, not performance

There's something almost defiant about this idea, especially coming from someone who wrote it while hiding from persecution. It's not saying happiness is selfish or something you hoard. It's saying the opposite: that your own contentment actually radiates outward in ways you might not even notice.

Think about the last time you were genuinely good—not performing happiness, but actually at ease. How did people around you respond? They probably relaxed too. They may have smiled more, been kinder, taken fewer things personally. Happiness isn't contagious like a virus; it's more like permission. When someone isn't radiating anxiety or resentment, it gives others space to breathe. You're not responsible for fixing anyone else's mood, but you are responsible for the energy you bring into a room.

The flip side matters too: misery really does make others miserable. Not because they're supposed to feel what you feel, but because unhappiness often looks like exhaustion or criticism or withdrawal—and people absorb that. So the quiet act of tending to your own wellbeing, of actually letting yourself be okay, becomes a small gift to everyone around you. It's permission-giving in reverse.