Quality of life is a very old phrase. Aristotle (384–322 BC) wrote about “The Good Life” and
“Living Well” and how public policy can nurture it. James Seth (1860–1925) wrote in 1889 in
“The Evolution of Morality” about a moral end to which mankind can aspire: “We must not regard
the mere quantity, but also the quality of the ‘life’ which forms the moral end.” Mayers wrote that
“a community quality of life is constructed of the shared characteristics residents experience in
places (for example, air, water quality, traffic, or recreational opportunities), and the subjective
evaluation residents make of these conditions”.
The concept of quality of life has been discussed by so many thinkers, but still its definition is
controversial and multidimensional, including both wealth and well-being, and it varies from one
person to another depending on many factors such as the level of education, income, culture,
health, etc. The most common indicators for the measurement of quality of life are health and
education.
Quality of life may mean different things to Ahmad a performer in Amman, Ali a baker in Irbid,
Mohammad a shopkeeper in Zarqa, Khaled a doctor in Aqaba. It must be a function of all aspects
of existence plus any other need that might be essential from their point of view.