Joys divided are increased.

Hear, O child of the living world, the gentle wisdom of Josiah Gilbert Holland, poet, moralist, and physician of the soul, who once declared: “Joys divided are increased.” In this brief and radiant saying lies a truth older than time itself—that happiness is the one treasure that multiplies when it is shared. Gold diminishes when divided, food lessens when distributed, but joy, when given freely, grows greater in the hearts of all who partake in it. This is the alchemy of the human spirit: that love, kindness, and delight, when poured out upon others, return to us more abundantly than before.

Holland, a writer of the nineteenth century, lived in a world of struggle and renewal—an age of moral striving and spiritual awakening. His words were born not of theory, but of deep reflection upon human life. He believed that the strength of society lay in compassion, in fellowship, and in the quiet heroism of everyday goodness. When he said, “Joys divided are increased,” he was reminding us that the essence of joy is not possession but participation—that the heart finds its fullest measure not in holding happiness, but in letting it flow outward like a river that nourishes all it touches.

This truth is reflected in every age and every faith. The ancients taught that man is not an island unto himself but a strand in the great web of being. Buddha spoke of the boundless heart that rejoices in the happiness of others; Christ said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Even the Stoics, who prized self-mastery above passion, knew that friendship and service lift the spirit beyond the narrowness of the self. Holland’s words, though simple, are a modern echo of this eternal harmony: that shared joy is the language of the soul’s abundance.

Consider, for a moment, the story of Florence Nightingale, who walked among the suffering soldiers of the Crimean War. Surrounded by death and despair, she did not hoard what little peace she had; she gave it away through her tireless care, her presence, her compassion. Each smile she offered, each wound she tended, transformed the darkness of the camp into a faint light of hope. Her joy was not in comfort, nor in reward—it was in giving herself, in dividing her light so that others might see. And in that division, her joy grew brighter still, outlasting the pain of her own frailty and the limits of her years.

So too in our own lives does this truth unfold. The parent who shares their happiness with a child finds that it doubles in laughter. The friend who celebrates another’s success tastes sweetness beyond their own achievement. Even in sorrow, when we open our hearts to others, joy can arise like dawn after storm. For the act of sharing binds souls together, and in that unity lies a joy far greater than solitary delight. The selfish heart, hoarding its pleasures, grows hollow; the generous heart, dividing its joys, becomes vast.

Yet this teaching demands courage, for to share joy, one must first release the fear of loss. Many guard their happiness as though it were fragile, fearing that to share it will lessen its warmth. But joy is not a flame that diminishes when passed from hand to hand—it is a torch that kindles other torches, until the night itself glows with a thousand fires. To give joy is to declare trust in life itself—to believe that goodness increases when sown, that the human heart, like fertile soil, multiplies what it receives.

Therefore, O listener, let this truth guide you: when happiness visits your door, do not hide it away as a miser hides his gold. Speak it, share it, pour it out upon others. Rejoice in the successes of your companions, give comfort to those in need, and let your heart be open to the world. For in lifting others, you will find yourself lifted; in brightening another’s path, your own will shine.

And so remember the immortal wisdom of Josiah Gilbert Holland—that “Joys divided are increased.” Live by this law, and you will discover a happiness not fleeting but eternal, not shallow but deep as the soul’s own ocean. For joy shared is joy multiplied, and in the giving of light, you yourself become light.