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The quality of life
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by S-a-c-h-i-e-l
on 2007-01-07 20:04:55
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Many people say that life's standards have risen... We have more conveniences, life expectancy is up, health is reaching an all-time high... But has the amount of happiness gone up? I've been thinking about this for a while... It seems as though the more people get for less, the more they want (is this just me?). Since people don't put their soul into things they have, it doesn't mean as much, so they try to fill it with more stuff they don't put their soul into, and that doesn't help... Kinda like pouring syrup into a sieve. It'll fill it for a little bit (you'd be happy because you got something new), but it would just drain out over time (how much you'd love it would decrease since it's just another object). For example, in older days, women would tailor a large amount of their family's clothing. They would put their soul into some of the clothing they made, and that gave them joy to see something they made worn on their family. The family, who wore that clothing, would be more careful (we can hope) with it, because it was made by their mother; it was special. Nowadays, it's about how much you can get, and how fast you can get it... If you made a good-looking computer desk all by yourself, you'd love it far more then if you bought the same desk from a store, correct? It would give you more joy to see the fruits of your labor? Eh, this is just my brain flopping around on my keyboard. If you've seen different, I wouldn't mind to hear your viewpoints on this subject~ (or if you've seen the same, too ^_~)  |
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Re: The quality of life
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Its is generally true that the standard of living for most of us around the world has risen as time passed. Things like health care and stuff r much better compared to decades ago n plp r living more comfortably n longer. However problems like pollution, ethics, cybercrime, and etc has also emerged. So if u wanna talk about happiness, its a debatable issue i think. Some plp will feel happy about the achievements that brought the new age n stuff but other might also think otherwise. So u can say the answers is also a mix. There's no one right answer in my opinion! Note: this is juz my opinion n nothin more! |
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hum...nowadays, we just get what we want without really caring about its "meaningfulness" because we can get loads of stuff easily, and save energy and time. and this is important for us to live in this fast-paced high standard life. humans are so hard to get. we're never satisfied with what we have, so we want more. and happiness that we get with objects that we possessed wont really last. i do admit that seeing the fruits of our labor is really meaningful and making us happier and such. but, some people are just happy with what they have, even without knowing the meanings and all that, just like me XD  |
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Its true that the definition of "Happiness" has changed with time. Years ago, the opportunity to go on a family picnic seemed heavenly; years later that sense of joy has been replaced with plastic disks that we shove into the computer. I reckon that the materialistic "happiness" that we see and experience so so often; is shallow. It's up to us to search for the subtler and more important "happiness" that we have missed all these years. Although things are different and fast paced compared to the past, we still are aware of the fakeness of the joys we have RIGHT NOW. Maybe we should pursue a better path to happiness so our lives will be a little more worthwhile. PS: "Better regret doing something than nothing" |
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"For example, in older days, women would tailor a large amount of their family's clothing. They would put their soul into some of the clothing they made, and that gave them joy to see something they made worn on their family. The family, who wore that clothing, would be more careful (we can hope) with it, because it was made by their mother; it was special. Nowadays, it's about how much you can get, and how fast you can get it... If you made a good-looking computer desk all by yourself, you'd love it far more then if you bought the same desk from a store, correct? It would give you more joy to see the fruits of your labor?" You're probably right, but the problem is... All my life i have never possessed anything made by myself... Everything is purchased stuffs, but still i'm happy about it. You make it sound like happines can only be gained by materials or objects (although, yeah, maybe for most peoples it's like that...) I'm sure that you know if there are many ways to be happy other than that. To me, as long as i'm able to enjoy this life the way i want to, i'm happy. -_- |
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Re: The quality of life
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by
on 2007-01-08 02:38:13 |
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i kinda agree with sach there...it doesn't really matter to me whether the things i have is hand made or bought. usually, when i want something, but it's really expansive,i'd save up and sacrifice lotsa stuff, like cutting down on junk food and bringing less money when i go out to prevent overspending. once i've got enough and by it, man i feel really happy when i got it |
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Re: The quality of life
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I do agree with Sach & Kay.. As the quality of life gets better, people's expectancy & expenditure increases. Their "WANTS" list far exceed their "NEEDS" list. However, when product's performance doesn't match up to our expectation.. we would never be delight/happy (marketing).. I used to be an impulsive buyer - whenever I'm down.. I would spend like nobody's business on nonsensical stuff which I've taken a liking to... well, my attention span on that product never last more than a week.. THANK GOD... i've kicked that habit~ LOL! Whether or not, it's hand-made or bought... If there's even a slight amount of effort put in by my part or others... I would be VERY HAPPY when I receive / bought it... ^^ I truly believe contentment is happiness.. somehow, people should learn to count their blessings.... I learnt to count mine...... =)
- It's NOT.thecolorofyour s k i n.|BUT|.thec o n t e n t sofyourHEART.that reallymatters -
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Re: The quality of life
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by S-a-c-h-i-e-l
on 2007-01-08 07:24:09
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Moojajajaja, Sai hath said what I was hoping one would *applauds* "You make it sound like happiness can only be gained by materials or objects..." Haven't you noticed how people switch through boyfriends and girlfriends at younger ages like they swap which song is their "favorite"? They're seemingly treated like material objects... I've seen threads on forums which simply ask "Will someone be my boyfriend/girlfriend?" You don't get a soul mate through trial and error, you simply observe on the sidelines, notice which people seem to be noticing you, and find out yourself which ones you yourself are noticing more, and see where that ends up. Plenty of things can make you happy... Getting a new game, a new friend, finding someone you'd want to spend your life with, a new job, the list can go on forever... But finding what does give you happiness can be a pain in the hind-end X_X |
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Happiness is incredibly relative, some people even believe you can train yourself to be happy, like the guy in this article. http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/this_britain/article2171679.ece |
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Happiness, some old people say that we get more and more 'wanting'. What used to be a very happy experience years ago now seems insignificant, even downright boring. As the tides of time change, human's expectations will rise, as their want for material things. One might say they are happy, but to others they are lonely. It is just the human nature to want more, be more greedier by the years go by, and generation after generation. We are a greedy race. As I wrote to an answer at Religion class once, "Humans are Lucifer's, the Fallen Angel, Pupets," -SinWeaver *edit* ... I just poked at a dead corpse.....
OMG!!! THERE IS A SOS BRIGADE AT THE RP SECTION!!!!
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Re: The quality of life
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by toushiro-10
on 2007-02-09 04:42:36
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materi (stuffs) that is what most people think is happiness. which one do you choose broadband connection or dial up connection? none of us will choose diall up. can helped it, materi (read money) makes different, higher you have makes higher your life quality. but i still believe that you are alive (mind and body) that the most hapiiness. |
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Re: The quality of life
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by none123456
on 2007-02-10 13:16:24
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I think the main reason for the lack of increase is happiness is what people take for granted, and what we consider luxuries. While overall development has increased internationally (HDI reports prove this), I think that because we cannot experience the past, we cannot truly experience this development. We grow up not knowing the world that was before us. No matter how much we study history, we will never be able to truly experience what happened in the past. This is the reason why, at least in my opinion, we cannot truly relate this development to personal happiness. Because we cannot know the past, our happiness is dictated only by the current events, not from the development that happens over time. |
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Re: The quality of life
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by
 
on 2007-02-12 01:42:51 |
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Well, to be honest, id like to make my clothes by myself. Id like to make something fine for me. Wear something I have done. Or something like that. But the problem is more like.. I have absolutely no skill to such things. There is no need for tailoring or such in these days, so kids, girls, women, they don't learn. There is ofc few, and I must say im envious to people who can make clothes by themselves, the way they want to. But if I'd have to make clothes for more people, like family (if I once get one) I would be in trouble. The clothing of my family would propably take all my free time. And I don't wish for that. And I guess that is one of the minus sides of this society of today. Im not ready to give up from the luxory of free time I have. Everybody are selfish in this kind of things. If it's mine I want to keep it. Guess two times which would I prefer doing, sewing some clothes, or watch some new anime series I have just gotten hooked to?   |
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Re: The quality of life
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by
on 2007-02-13 06:29:24 |
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I'm wondering what will happen if one day all those high living standards were stripped off from humanity just like that...will we survive? 'cause I know I can't survive without my computer... |
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Re: The quality of life
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by
on 2007-02-13 11:06:58 |
@Bloodymoon- It's not a matter of if you will survive without those things, it's a matter of if you will want to.XD I don't think I would want to live in a world like that, I'd probably kill myself if that happened. Just so used to these things being around.    |
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Re: The quality of life
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by
on 2007-02-13 11:23:46 |
Quality of Life depends on how you view it. If you view life as a crappy half-assed Hell, then your life won't seem that entertaining. As for me, Since I'm just crazy, I view life as a breeze. I'm always having fun and am always happy. Life is what you make it. Just like your home. View life as you want to view it and that is the path that you, yourself, will set. All in all, happiness comes from your thoughts, your actions, and your feelings. Life is life, and happiness is life tenfold.  |
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Re: The quality of life
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I totally agree with Dark! Though I'm far from happy all the time, I can only blame myself, and never others, for that. Life - it has no 'value'. WE wouldn't consider it so precious if it had one... And with that, I don't mean just humans. But Happiness cannot be EXPECTED to go up with life longevity, can it? After all, we make out happiness our selves. Most of the time, if we decide to be down, we can be. If we let everything be pitted against us and consider our lives useless, it will be so. If we allow our lives to be dimmed and our hopes to be shattered, so it will be. In the ultimate end, we are the ones who decide the pathway of our lives...but some of the circumstances we face take too much courage than we can muster - and we fall. That's where we need help. Sometimes, we find it, and sometimes we don't. I can see lots of angry eyes glaring at me...^^; I meant no offense, nor am I stating that no one has problems. I'm just saying if we can all try our best to help ourselves and help others, we can fight back against those problems...and we can be 'happy'...if such a word can be defined, that is. (It seems like I ended with an odd note...again)  |
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Re: The quality of life
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by S-a-c-h-i-e-l
on 2007-02-17 12:53:20
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Yeah, that's absolutely the way it goes; Two people that have the exact same life can end up completely different people... Because they choose to respond differently to the events in their lives. "A pessimist sees a difficulty in every opportunity; An optimist sees an opportunity in every difficulty." That the way it goes with life, too. You create your own view of life... So why not make it a good one? :D |
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Re: The quality of life
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by
on 2007-02-18 22:33:55 |
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Hi Sachiel ^^ upon the Quality of life...it is by no bounds something which is stable to a point to where it would be perfect of course. News will always say such information such as Quality of Life has risen in order to ease the viewer...and the few information gained to which they can say for such a cause even though the rise has not been raised substantially. Like many else have said before, the quality of life is always only an opinion upon the spectator. No one else is to choose upon how their quality of life is. For the most part...the quality of a poor person CAN equal that of what a Rich person is. The sad part is...is that a poor person never experiences the greatness of being rich...so achieving something such as a large amount of food will be of something to which they will cherish. For a rich person...if they like gain the control of a huge monopoly...their feelings and their quality of life within their minds...will equal each other. I'm not saying that one is better then the other or that person is pitiful. I'm saying like how feelings interact with each other interpreting how the quality of life is. It is like how a person feels like having to do the dishes is the worst thing in the world. And how another person feels that putting away the dishes is the worst thing in the world. The point I believe which I am trying to say...is that the quality of life is given by the mindset of each individual.  |
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Re: The quality of life
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The rate of happiness has indeed gone up, but arguably so. it is difficult to see it because the rate of unhappiness has also gone up. 
wooo maplestory |