Quality over Quantity

A lot of the time, “Quality over quantity” feels like just another repetitive phrase told to us at a time of weakness. But when you think more deeply about it, this three word saying can be an easy solution to many problems in our lives.

In this generation, specifically,  there is a push to have a significant amount of everything: a lot of friends, a lot of clothes, and a lot of money. But is it really healthy to think this way? The first step to rewiring our thought process in order to incorporate this “quality over quantity” way of thinking, is to find places in our lives where this could be beneficial. Take friendships for an example. If we focus solely on the amount of friends we have, then the quality of our friendships will suffer. Focusing on having really good friends who add a lot of meaning to your life is important, and it can have a huge effect on how we view the purpose of our everyday interactions. The people we are around influence us heavily. So we should make sure we're close to people who we want in our lives. Looking at the quality of the connections we have to people will give our relationships more depth.

This “quality over quantity” mindset can also be applied to our purchases. Often, when we’re bored at home with little to do, our first instinct is to go out and shop or scavenge online retailers. When this happens there are few times that we buy something we actually need. If you think about this from the retailer’s perspective, this could actually be a good thing. When companies try to sell items, obviously, they want you to buy more than what you need. We don't need to fall into that trap. One of the most common counter arguments against “quality over quantity” thinking is that it can't possibly apply to money. Although it is true that mostly everyone wants a lot of money, I would argue that the way we make that money matters more. Personally, if I had a dreadful job that makes a lot of money I'd be a lot more unhappy than being at a low paying job that I thoroughly enjoyed. We gain the most fulfillment and joy in our life when we're doing things for the right reason, no matter the outcome. 

Looking at the circumstances we find ourselves in each day from the perspective of “quality vs quantity” can open up so many doors for us. This gives us a different view on the world, and a new way to live. Although this is an overused saying, taking a second to think deeper about it can do you a lot of good.