It doesn’t matter how many other wicks the unlit candle touches—or for how long—the unlit candle won’t light any others.
The candle would be much better off forgetting about the other wicks and focusing on lighting its own.
…And there’s no shortage of fire sources in this world.
It’s just that, oftentimes, the candle becomes too preoccupied admiring the flame of others… it gets self-conscious and fearful about what others might think about how it burns from its wick… it decides it might be better off staying inside its box and watching the other candles from afar.
…But, candles aren’t made for boxes.
Candles are made for lighting.
And not only do lit candles combat the world’s darkness… but, they lose nothing by lighting the wicks of others… and compared to the unlit candle’s work, leads to exponential returns.