Interests can be categorised in a similar way: they can be decided by the person who
has them, or by others who apply different standards to the circumstances of the individual.
Little, in a critique of welfare economics, identifies welfare with 'happiness' (1957, ch.5).
'Happiness' is a mental state or point of view. It is a value-laden term, because it suggests
that individual feelings are important; one might argue that only an individual can really tell
if he or she is happy, and it seems to follow that individuals are likely to be the best judge of
their own welfare. 'Welfare' seems, on this basis, to be closely linked to individual choices
and desires.