What is Quality of Life?

ykgoh SG

Hi.

All the way been hearing that Singapore has a high quality/standard of life. So in the real definition, what does this mean?

Better life? Better infrastructure? Better education system? More highly paid jobs? More leisure time for personal pursues?

When people keep emphasizing that life's good in Singapore, I wonder how true it is when most of us are worked to the bone, Over Time is already treated as the norm like standard working hours and not even enough time to rest and pursue personal goals.

And this still means a "high quality of life?"

I wonder where this country is heading...a nation of willing slaves for MNCs and GLCs to exploit? High-end jobs, quality outputs, operational excellence but typical SIngaporeans and man-in-the-street paid at Bangladeshi rate?

Xenthar SG

Well the thing is that Singapore really is a good place to stay. But the fact is that you must have lots of $$$$$$$$$. Or at the very least get a good paper qualification so you can get lots of $$$$$$$$$$$$. Elitism is too rampant here. The ones at the top get everything while the lower ones get absolute nil. I mean go work in any private firm and take a look. Bigshots get high pay and sometimes even come to work "when and as they like". But the other nobodys will get short change. As far as I am concerned, there is no point praticing equality. The reality of life in Singapore is that if you don't step on others they will step on you. So take your pick!

Xenthar SG

Oh yes and as a side note. Maybe thats why more and more people in Singapore turning to religion like Christianity etc. They are probably trying to delude themselves that everything is fact or destiny so it can't be helped and its not their fault. HA HA. Talk about self deception. So like people have a better life then its because it must be god's will or like the chinese saying they did something good in their previous life. What a bunch of crap!

paperchicken SG

Originally posted by Xenthar:
Oh yes and as a side note. Maybe thats why more and more people in Singapore turning to religion like Christianity etc. They are probably trying to delude themselves that everything is [b]fact or destiny so it can't be helped and its not their fault. HA HA. Talk about self deception. So like people have a better life then its because it must be god's will or like the chinese saying they did something good in their previous life. What a bunch of crap!
[/b]

you want to preach go somewhere else. keep religious topic away from Speakers Corner. Making fun of other ppl's belief or religion onli goes to show how shallow and toopid a zealot you are. Rolling Eyes

pkchukiss SG

I would say a person's quality of life is pegged to his attitude towards life itself.

If he is unhappy all his life, there is no way we can say that this person is enjoying himself.

A misnomer would be to link the quality of life to the number of material gains a person has managed to achieve. That is the quality of one's material comforts. Whereas these material comforts can improve someone's quality of life, it is not the entire picture unto itself. Certain professionals are successful in their jobs, earn the high pay, yet have abysmal relationships with others; he might be a total jerk on a train by bashing through the crowd without allowing passengers to alight, for instance.

Improving one's quality of life involves a huge sphere of many factors, of which we are myopic to: we believe cash is the key to one's quality of life. Spiritual, relationships, personal fulfillment (goals) are but some of the other facets of one's life. Neglecting them is akin to leaving a hole within oneself, a deficiency weighs down on our minds.

poon cho tang SG

quality of life refers to your personal satisfaction (or dissatisfaction) with the cultural or intellectual conditions under which you live (as distinct from material or financial comfort).

it is highly subjective and cannot be dictated by anyone else....it's up to you to determine your quality of life.... Mr. Green

Qitai SG

There are many ways to measure QoL, depending on each person's value system. Below is a sample of Mercers study of 39 key quality of life determinants, grouped in the following categories:

Political and social environment (political stability, crime, law enforcement, etc)
Economic environment (currency exchange regulations, banking services, etc)
Socio-cultural environment (censorship, limitations on personal freedom, etc)
Medical and health considerations (medical supplies and services, infectious diseases, sewage, waste disposal, air pollution, etc)
Schools and education (standard and availability of schools, etc)
Public services and transportation (electricity, water, public transport, traffic congestion, etc)
Recreation (restaurants, theatres, cinemas, sports and leisure, etc)
Consumer goods (availability of food/daily consumption items, cars, etc)
Housing (housing, household appliances, furniture, maintenance services, etc)
Natural environment (climate, record of natural disasters)

Singapore usually scores well in the economical aspect. Aces in safety but fares badly in political and socio-cultural aspect.

Xenthar SG

Originally posted by poon cho tang:
quality of life refers to your [b]personal satisfaction (or dissatisfaction) with the cultural or intellectual conditions under which you live (as distinct from material or financial comfort).

it is highly subjective and cannot be dictated by anyone else....it's up to you to determine your quality of life.... Mr. Green [/b]

I guess these means I don't like the culture here then. Smacks too much of elitism. I see the gaps betweens the haves and the haves not widening. I do agree that material gains are not everything. But its only realistic to realise that you need money to at least have a semblance of a good life. I have many friends who after getting a diploma eventually had to go get a degree. See what I mean. You don't want to end up getting stuck in the lower rung your entire life do you?

CenturionMBT SG

i will call it meritocracy. You get what you work for. But hell, whats the big diff between elitism and meritocracy? We can’t have a robinhood kind of mentality where the rich gives to the poor and the poor goes happy right?

blurfroggie SG

"Ask not what the country can do for you but what you can do for the country" John F Kennedy

Just be glad that we are living in a country where there are jobs for us to work our arses off.

http://www.sfdonline.org/Link%20Pages/Link%20Folders/DearSingaporean/1999/180399.html

elindra SG

Singapore is still not as bad when it comes to work like the other big cities and though the tax rate is increasing, it is still low.

I guess basically it all boils down time management.