Passage
A glad heart maketh a cheerful countenance: but by grief of mind the spirit is cast down.
Proverbs 15:13 (DRB)
Nearby Context
Proverbs 15:11 Hell and destruction are before the Lord: how much more the hearts of the children of men?
Proverbs 15:12 A corrupt man loveth not one that reproveth him: nor will he go to the wise.
Proverbs 15:13 A glad heart maketh a cheerful countenance: but by grief of mind the spirit is cast down.
Proverbs 15:14 The heart of the wise seeketh instruction: and the mouth of fools feedeth on foolishness.
Proverbs 15:15 All the days of the poor are evil: a secure mind is like a continual feast.
Study Lenses
The verse centers on "Spirit", "glad", "heart", "maketh", "cheerful", "countenance", "grief", and "mind". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "Spirit" and "glad", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.
The nearby context moves from verse 12's "A corrupt man loveth not one that..." into verse 14's "The heart of the wise seeketh instruction...", so "Spirit" and "glad" belong inside that flow. In Proverbs context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.
A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "Spirit" and "glad" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.