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To me ;good health;happy personally and in my family life;with good firends. Work doesn't apply to me becasue I am happily retired but when I did I was happy and also felt that I was a contributing member of American society.
High quality of life:
1. You enjoy your work (employment/business), if you work
2. You enjoy your after work/day off activities/passivities
3. You enjoy your sleep
Low quality of life: You hate/do not enjoy one or more of the above
That should apply to Americans and nonAmericans.
BTW, somehow, I have the feeling, that the older a person gets the lower is the ability to enjoy life, even if things go OK.
Anyone would agree on this one?
My experience is that as one gets older he/she become more content. Younger people seem to have the most complaints. Just look at the topics here. From too much work to not enough; from not being able to afford a house to buying too much of one. There's a thread in House right now about a neighbor who put a satellite dish in their backyard supposedly ruining the view of the OP; complaints about dating, about cars, about hobbies and so on ad infinitum.
Some people just ***** and moan all the time about stuff no matter their age. Usually things they either have absolutely no control over or stuff they could control if they wanted to but complaining is easier.
Well, paulpan, of course as most people age they get into worse health and worse physical shape, and if so this has to interfere with enjoying quality of life.
A lot of people accumulate debt and other problems, have toxic relationships, so that will reduce their ability to enjoy life.
I think a person who stays in good physical shape has the best chance of enjoying life, particularly after retirement.
That is true. I offer myself as Exhibit A: since retiring, I have made it a priority to maintain my fitness and general health. I firmly believe that this has had a positive effect on my outlook, as well as improving my ability to participate fully in aspects of daily life which are difficult for many folks my age.
How Do Americans Measure 'Quality Of Life'?
What are the factors that determine quality of life?
The answer is as broad as the question. Everyone has different ideals. I am happy with very little, and as long as the weather is nice & sunny I am content working hard and playing equally.
Many want families, kids, church on Sunday, and to own a home and settle down and call it a wrap. I would never do any of those things so my "quality of life" would differ from others, and vise versa.
I know what your asking but it's just too hard to give one answer as we are all so different.
'Quality of Life' seems like a difficult concept for Americans to deal with. Exactly why I started this thread.
If I asked about how to start investing in stocks, surely I could get detailed answers; same if I asked who are currently the best NFL quarterbacks.
'Quality of Life' is seldom heard in America. My guess is that Americans don't even think about this. Probably because Americans don't care about 'quality of life'. That I think is evident in America's daily life styles.
So, let's review...
quality of life is when I'm happy - great answer, whatever that means.
How about 'quality of life' is when I have a whole quart of chocolate ice-cream all to myself. How about owning an autographed photo of Michael Jackson? How about having 16" wheels on my car?
Location: New Albany, Indiana (Greater Louisville)
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Quality of Life is too often based on how rich you are COMPARED to other people you are around everyday.
99% of Americans have electricity, clean water, sound housing, and general safety and yet many of us are absolutely miserable. If I have a Corolla but think I deserve a Scion TC I'm supposed to feel inferior, even when only 4% of people in Peru have any car at all!! If I have a 3 bedroom home built in 1983 I should feel terrible because I really deserve a 6 bedroom home built in 2005 that has a 2 car garage and brick mail box!!
Happiness is a state of mind that comes by being content with what you have. As Proverbs in the Bible says " A heart of peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones"
Quality of Life is too often based on how rich you are COMPARED to other people you are around everyday.
99% of Americans have electricity, clean water, sound housing, and general safety and yet many of us are absolutely miserable. If I have a Corolla but think I deserve a Scion TC I'm supposed to feel inferior, even when only 4% of people in Peru have any car at all!! If I have a 3 bedroom home built in 1983 I should feel terrible because I really deserve a 6 bedroom home built in 2005 that has a 2 car garage and brick mail box!!
Happiness is a state of mind that comes by being content with what you have. As Proverbs in the Bible says " A heart of peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones"
Would you say that 'quality of life' to an American means the amount of materialism?
America as a country is still very immature compared to other developed countries. We measure our worth in quantitative wealth and military might. Canadians or Danes on the other hand may measure the worth of their countries by how well they take care of their citizens. People who live in Vancouver or Berne take great pride in their cities being considered the best places to live in the world.
Even at the local level, the difference between America and other developed countries is stark. In Paris or Copenhagen, mayors campaign on quality of life issues. Whereas in New York or Los Angeles, such issues hardly even register. They are only ever bought up to appeal to niche voting groups(Upper middle class ageing hippies and hipsters). The present mayor of Paris for example is poplar because of the "Paris Pleige" idea or the idea to turn a boulevard into a public beach. In Copenhagen decades ago there was a big campaign to decrease the amount of cars on the road so that there would be less noise and air pollution.
It could be that in America we have too many fundamental issues to deal with(crime, poverty, etc.) and so QOL issues seem affected. I'd think Portlanders were put a higher priority on QOL issues than say, Detroiters, who need jobs and adequate schools before they need public parks and bike lanes.
Nevertheless, no matter what study you cite, America ranks very poorly on quality of life measures for the vast amount of wealth we have.
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