The ObservatoryPart of your subjective wellbeing
Life satisfaction
The overall cognitive evaluation of one's own life.
How it's measured
3 statements in the wellbeing assessment, scored from "doesn't apply at all" to "applies completely".
- On the whole, I am satisfied with my life.
- My life is close to how I want it to be.
- Looking at the whole picture, I am content with how my life is going.
Where you work with it
The life areas in this section — assess yourself, answer the questions, and track them over time.
Life satisfaction
Not ratedHow satisfied you are with life as a whole.
Satisfaction with the present
Not ratedHow you experience your current life situation.
Perceived quality of life
Not ratedYour subjective assessment of how well life is working.
Expectations and reality
Not ratedThe difference between the life you have and the life you wish for.
Change over time
Not ratedHow you judge that your well-being has developed over the past week, month or year.
Getting started
Article
Why 'feeling good' is the wrong thing to aim for
The harder you chase happiness, the more it tends to slip away. Research points toward something less glamorous, and more lasting.
2 min · Rationality
Self-assessment
How is meaning doing?
Four scales that split meaning into its parts (coherence, direction and mattering), plus the search for it.
4 min · Rationality
Exercise
Relationship review
Map the eight people you spend the most time with, rate whether each relationship gives or takes energy, and invest deliberately in one of them.
20 min · Rationality
Exercise
The time you have
An average life is roughly four thousand weeks. Counting your time sounds grim, but done right it is the opposite: a sharp filter for what deserves your weeks.
12 min · Rationality
Exercise
Do it half well
Perfectionism promises that everything will fall into place if it is perfect. Test the opposite, on purpose, and see what actually happens.
12 min · Discipline
Exercise
The good-enough day
For the days when not everything got done, and the chafing stays anyway.
9 min · Compassion
Exercise
The art of savoring
Good moments often pass unnoticed. Here you learn to stay with them a little longer.
8 min · Compassion
Exercise
The compass of envy
Envy is uncomfortable information, not a character flaw. Read what your envy points toward.
10 min · Compassion
How's your life satisfaction?
The wellbeing assessment gives you a profile across all six dimensions, and you see it change over time. Free account, no payment.