What determines “A good life”?

Mr. Ed

Mr. Ed

Be what you is not what you what you ain’t
Location
Central NY
In spite of my discontentment with life, life has been good. I’ve experienced everything I set out to do before depreciation of body & mind. I’ve had my share of big boy toys and relationships to last a lifetime. My wife loves me and cares for me more than I deserve. I love my wife, daughters and brothers. I have friends who appreciate me and tolerate my sense of humor.

Life is good, but what about joy and happiness? I am content.
 

Mr. Ed said:
Life is good, but what about joy and happiness? I am content.
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I think "joy" and "happiness" are subjective, Ed. One person's definition of having happiness in their life may very well be how someone else describes "contentment." And "joy".... I have heard that concept described so many ways, you wouldn't believe it. So glad to hear you've had a good life and have people who love you... that would *be* "joy" to many, eh? 🤷‍♀️
 
My son & grandson are coming today. I'm living the Good Life, and I count my blessings as often as I can.

I'm lucky, IMO, to be born in the USA. My grandparents risked their lives to give me this gift. I feel I started out on a winning side.
 
As a Christian, my idea of a good life is the endless life in perfect health that God originally intended for mankind and which he promises to restore.

Romans 6:23​

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Revelation 21:4​

He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
 
A good life means you are content in the present moment. You have a roof over your head, proper heating and cooling, electricity, eat good nutritious food and have loving relationships with others.

I’m fortunate to have all the above including a loving husband. I am very grateful for my blessings and thank the universe daily for bringing them to me.
 
We humans gauging personal contentment tend to compare ourselves to others. Would expect our primitive ancestors living centuries ago if magically brought into this future would be amazed at how little most people today are content about that even wealthy and nobles in their era would have been immensely joyed to experience.

If I had a time machine transporting each day, one order of a Big Mac with Fires and Chocolate Shake, any king would make me his personal treasure. Yet today many accept a long list of conveniences and things that make living easy, comfortable, and enjoyable as ho hum, yawn, and rather unhappily envy others with supposed MORE.
 
Radrook said:
A good life, under the present conditions, is almost always determined by the type of parents that we happen to have. So having loving parents would definitely be on top of the list of having a good life since hateful parents will very effectively prevent it.
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When I was younger I had a roof over my head, nutritious food, plenty of clothes to wear AND plenty of friends. My parents were VERY abusive. I mean to the max.

When reading this question, I understood it to be a current one. Do you have a good life NOW? People CAN have a fabulous life even if having abusive parents. I lucked out and found a caring partner who taught me to put the past behind me. My parents clearly had undiagnosed mental disorders which I forgave them for. Forgiving them wasn’t for them.
Forgiving them was for me.

I have a good life now regardless of my upbringing.
 
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I had incredibly wonderful parents, but I thought they didn't do enough for Princess Me. When I left my neighborhood and met other people and heard their stories I changed my mind real quick.

Culturally, my "group" had extremely rare occurrences of alcoholism and physical abuse. I never once heard of it, anywhere, while growing up. They were, however, known for guilting you to death :ROFLMAO:
 
PeppermintPatty said:
When I was younger I had a roof over my head, nutritious food, plenty of clothes to wear AND plenty of friends. My parents were VERY abusive. I mean to the max.

When reading this question, I understood it to be a current one. Do you have a good life NOW? People CAN have a fabulous life even if having abusive parents. I lucked out and found a caring partner who taught me to put the past behind me. My parents clearly had undiagnosed mental disorders which I forgave them for. Forgiving them wasn’t for them.
Forgiving them was for me.

I have a good life now regardless of my upbringing.
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That's why I used the qualifier "almost always".
What Are Qualifiers and Intensifiers? - The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation
 
Mr. Ed said:
In spite of my discontentment with life, life has been good. I’ve experienced everything I set out to do before depreciation of body & mind. I’ve had my share of big boy toys and relationships to last a lifetime. My wife loves me and cares for me more than I deserve. I love my wife, daughters and brothers. I have friends who appreciate me and tolerate my sense of humor.

Life is good, but what about joy and happiness? I am content.
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It's fascinating.

Judged against what others might have expected, I've delivered.

On the other hand, I know much of what I strieved to achieve is meaningless. I can't control others - but as far as self-realization is concerned, I'm underwhelmed.
 

What determines “A good life”?​


I so wish I could read what others have posted, but I'll just post what I've found;

Centering on the good, even when things and poeple are not so good, makes for good memories,

and many good memories begets 'a good life'
 

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