The deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain.

This line is widely attributed to Kahlil Gibran and is commonly circulated as a standalone aphorism, but it originates in his prose-poem sequence The Prophet, in the chapter “On Joy and Sorrow.” In that section, the speaker Almustafa responds to a woman who asks about joy and sorrow, presenting them as inseparable experiences shaped by the same “cup” of the self. The work was first published in 1923 and reflects Gibran’s characteristic blend of spiritual counsel, biblical cadence, and romantic symbolism, written during his mature period in the United States.

Gibran frames suffering not as mere deprivation but as an enlarging force: sorrow “carves” the self like a vessel being hollowed, increasing its capacity to hold joy. The metaphor suggests that emotional depth is cumulative—pain can widen empathy, perception, and resilience, making later happiness more spacious and meaningful. At the same time, the image refuses a simplistic optimism; joy is not a reward that cancels sorrow but something made possible by the same inner contours that sorrow creates. The quote’s significance lies in its insistence on the interdependence of opposites and the transformative potential of grief.