Happiness is a universal desire, but its definitions are subjective and vary for every individual. While it is a feeling that everyone seeks, it does not necessarily unite people on a common interest. Sara Ahmed, the author of the article, “The Notice of Happiness” exposes the frustrating aspects of happiness. Ahmed’s story emphasizes the inequity that happiness has brought throughout history and encourages readers to listen to those who disagree with the current situation. She singles out the pointless connections of happiness that contribute to its annoying parts and examines how the prosperity of the feel-good industry was shaped. She further analyzes some psychological studies from a feminist, queer, antiracist perspective. In conclusion, Ahmed presents the bleak history of unhappiness, showing that happiness is not always achievable for everyone. Her unique and authentic approach to happiness and its history warrants further exploration. This paper endeavors to reflect on Ahmed’s ideas.

Ahmed first establishes a foundation to debate happiness. She attempts to identify what happiness means and whether humans are willing to consent to it. She has a plethora of questions that can help in developing a broader horizon to life. Rather than seeking a conventional definition, which is biased to some individuals, Ahmed advises focusing on the relationship between happiness and personal life choices and associations. Assessing those connections offers a better chance of comprehending this indefinable argument. Ahmed suggests considering what might influence an individual's decision-making process when seeking happiness. For example, relying exclusively on university resources rather than extensive online search could influence life choices differently. Weighing the pros and cons could resolve the dilemma and lead to a happier life since misinformation is less likely.

In addition, Ahmed finds the current state of happiness, where the contemporary world uses it as a measure of performance, alarming. Happiness is not a term for people's well-being; rather, it is used to assess the quality of work in our capitalist world. The happiness industry was created to fulfill the needs of the capitalist system. The feel-good industry is thriving; however, Ahmed questions its methods as it heavily relies on self-report. According to Ahmed, "the science of happiness makes correlations between happiness levels and social indicators." These indicators are determined in the interest of the majority and don't account for minorities. The capitalist system benefits from categorizing people based on indicators, such as marriage. This action causes single people to separate from society, and the pressure to enhance performance becomes easier as it is based on generalized indicators.

Positive psychology, or the idea of "look on the bright side," is another tool that contributes to happiness. It provides "signs" for a better life, but these signs are based on majority opinions and are not universal. The classical indicators, such as having a car, a family with children, and being conservative, are factors that positive psychology considers as the hallmark of happiness. These signs guarantee that an individual is happy, but it oppresses minorities and disregards their interests. Ahmed argues that happiness cannot be limited to such clichés and considers it irrelevant to label the definition of happiness based on stereotypes.

In conclusion, as Ahmed rightly points out, happiness is a subjective concept, where each individual has a personalized definition. She underlines the prevalent use of happiness in modern-day capitalism and cautions against its normalization without taking into account the interests of minorities. This paper suggests that happiness is an individual's perception that can be understood by considering personal life choices and assessing their impact, rather than relying on common indicators.

After examining Ahmed's counterarguments and carefully observing her expressions, I began to view things in a different light, which brought about a newfound sense of enlightenment. Her work seamlessly depicts the truth about being content or discontent. While our beliefs may not align, I can still resonate with some aspects and will attempt to improve myself in those areas. It is my sincere hope that others will acknowledge the awareness she has brought forth.