3. Life satisfaction

Can we use life satisfaction as a measure of happiness? ‘Life satisfaction’ looks at the idea that we measure our own happiness levels using subjective standards. This view has appeal as it gives responsibility for happiness to the individual, and perhaps it is the individual who knows best whether they are happy or not. Life satisfaction seems distinctively important because it should track people's values. But by what level do we measure life satisfaction? It is by nature different for everyone. Life satisfaction theories of happiness have some intuitive plausibility, but it is difficult to make sense of the value we put on happiness.