Conclusion
This analysis reveals a paradox in the way we define subjective
well-being based on individualist perceptions of satisfaction and
happiness. One to achieve greater well-being has to pursue higher levels
of wealth and education but in a highly conformist manner in a society
where inequalities and injustices are growing fast. The assumptions
behind the mainstream notions of subjective well-being are ideologically
informed confirming the criticisms of authors like William Davis (the
author of The Happiness Industry ) who argued that the metrics of
well-being are “systematically disconnected from meaning and
community”. Moral and communal elements are needed to be included in
our definition of well-being to adjust the measurements for the paradox.
People with lower moral and aspirational well-being should be graded
with lower degrees of total well-being.