Quality of Life vs. Standard of Living
If you had to choose between a high quality of life and a high standard of living, which would you choose? Quality of life is the measure of your overall life satisfaction level, while your standard of living is the measure of your earthly comforts. A person who displays a high quality of life has peace, happiness, and a sense that he or she is a success not for the things of life, but for the intangibles such as a sense of community and life contribution. A person who enjoys a high standard of living may have all the visible trappings of modern success such as the cars, houses, and toys; but without a high quality of life, these things are often unsatisfying. For most people, having a high quality of life, with a reasonable standard of living provides a worthwhile and satisfying life. For those who wish to pursue a high standard of living (and there’s nothing wrong with pursuing the finer things in life), it is important to keep a high quality of life as well. You might think of the choice this way – with wisdom comes quality of life and with money comes standard of living. As we grow older (and hopefully wiser), we understand that money is a great tool, but wisdom is far more valuable.