Is there a secret recipe for economic growth? No, but we can extrapolate some pieces of advice from Adam Smith. An economy can leave behind its “dull” stagnant state and grow when its markets expand, when the productivity of its workers increases thanks to high compensations which are seen as incentives to work harder, and when lobbying and cronyism are kept at bay. Luck plays a role too, but these three ingredients are necessary, even if not sufficient, for an economy to grow and thus be “cheerful.”