I’ll add, by the way, that Smith’s discussion of those cases when we do respond well to the “small joys” runs the risk of blurring two things. Our positive response might be due to genuine empathy (what Smith would call “sympathy”). But alternatively, the positive response might just be because I care for you, so assuming that I can override envy, your good fortune makes me happy as well. This second nonempathic response is probably more common. Imagine that I learn that my good friend has fallen in love, and this fills my heart with joy. But it’s not because I’m feeling the giddiness and
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I'm not certain how sharp the distinction is here? But it does seem very possible that trying to have empathy with someone's accomplishments or happiness simply leads to envy. But by the same narrowness, I'm not sure how common suggestions of empathy for another's happiness are, it is most often invoked to elicit understanding for suffering, sadness or difference.
