We prove a version of J.P. Mays theorem on the additivity of traces, in symmetric monoidal stable $infty$-categories. Our proof proceeds via a categorification, namely we use the additivity of topological Hochschild homology as an invariant of stable $infty$-categories and construct a morphism of spectra $mathrm{THH}(mathbf C)to mathrm{End}(mathbf 1_mathbf C)$ for $mathbf C$ a stably symmetric monoidal rigid $infty$-category. We also explain how to get a more general statement involving traces of finite (homotopy) colimits.