Eleanor Roosevelt once said, "Happiness is not a goal… it's a by-product of a life well-lived." Furthermore, researchers found that happiness begins with feeling competent, believing that you can make a difference, and understanding what is happening around you. However, everyone has different values and views, causing them to measure and obtain a better or worse quality of life in different ways. In the short story "Flowers for Algernon," Daniel Keyes shows how the events caused by Charlie's operation negatively affected his quality of life.

After Charlie's operation, Keyes shows how Charlie’s life was degraded by realizing that his factory friends treated him wrongly. In the story, as Charlie begins to recount past events, he understands the true meaning of the events at Mugsy's Saloon. He learns that his friends mocked him in front of everyone else and abandoned him late at night to entertain themselves. As a result, Charlie painfully acknowledges that his previous experiences and relations grew off his friends exploiting his ignorance and lack of intelligence, making him ashamed and sad. Charlie can see his friends from a new perspective, where he is mistreated due to his differences, leading him to struggle with who is considerate and genuinely a friend. He feels betrayed by the people he trusts, which could lead to trust issues and loneliness. Thus, Charlie must reevaluate his understanding of friendships and trust, resulting in confusion, uncertainty, and worse social decisions.

Another negative effect caused by Charlie's surgery was his feelings of isolation and loneliness. At the factory, everyone signed a petition to fire Charlie, including his friends, Joe and Frank. Later, Charlie states that his operation caused everyone to alienate and distance themselves from him. Humans rely on others for support and love, and Charlie, lacking a support system, can lose motivation and purpose. Furthermore, having friends is necessary to feel normal and human-like by fitting in with others regardless of your treatment. In Charlie's circumstances, he is discriminated against and rejected by others, making him feel ashamed. His profound understanding of his emotions further develops his feelings of isolation and loneliness. Charlie no longer feels connected to others in the same way as before, making him unable to engage in the activities that once brought him connection and relief. A growing sense of isolation would also result in an inability to communicate with others due to his differences, causing Charlie to struggle later in life.

Even though Charlie's operation ultimately negatively affected his quality of life, some disagree. They claim that his increased intelligence and scientific findings brought him fulfillment. While it is true that Charlie can feel a sense of achievement and pride from his scientific findings and increased intelligence, such an argument fails to acknowledge that his initial goal and source of motivation was to fit in and connect with others on a deeper level. Due to jealousy or unease, Charlie's accomplishments and intelligence would only further alienate him from others. Thus, any scientific advancements he accomplished would fail to complete his primary goal of fitting in with others. Upon closer analysis, it is clear that Charlie's quality of life worsens because he fails to obtain a sense of acceptance due to his intellectual superiority. Charlie’s quality of life is diminished because his increased awareness allows him to realize that others view him as abnormal and rejected.

Another adverse effect of the operation is that Charlie’s detailed thoughts enable him to endure the loss of his intellect more profoundly. After Algernon’s decline, Charlie loses the ability to read and analyze complex text, shown by his inability to understand “Paradise Lost.” Charlie’s genius allows him to process loss much differently from an average human, where his thoughts are more complex and contain a deeper understanding. Thus, he experiences extreme emotional torment from his grief caused by understanding what losing his intelligence, which he values most, would mean. Charlie feels disappointment and failure because he is reverting to his original state of mind, where he cannot enjoy or appreciate the finer aspects of life. Furthermore, Charlie fears the future because he cannot prevent losing an essential part of himself.

Throughout the story's various events, we can see that the operation impaired Charlie's quality of life. Everyone lives differently based on what they enjoy and can take pride in because everyone has different views and values. However, the truths revealed in "Flowers for Algernon" should make us wary of our desire for happiness, especially by playing god, because consequences always follow. Additionally, by knowing how societies treat outcasts, we should work to end the discrimination they face to create a better environment.