Disposition and Quality of Life – Part 1

It does seem that there is a lot of confusion around the concept of life "going well" - how do we define it? Some would measure it in terms of health, others wealth, others according to happiness. All of these factors do come into play to some extent when it comes to life "going well" for us. But how do we explain the kind, friendly relative who is taken ill with a debilitating disease? How does the concept of "going well" figure in the life of the rich man who made his wealth through deceit and manipulation? It just does not make sense a lot of the time.

The Christian world seems to concentrate a great deal on taking action to the point of attempting to define what action is right and what action is wrong; the church loves to prescribe formulas which, if followed, will change a person's life for the better. But when it comes to life "going well", I think that it has a lot more to do with a person's beliefs, desires and attitudes. One could say that such attributes form a person's disposition. According to the Concise Oxford English Dictionary, the word "disposition" means: a person's inherent qualities of mind and character. An inclination or tendency. It is a person's disposition which determines whether they will grasp opportunities or if they will procrastinate and shy away from taking responsibility. The Parable of the Talents was all about this contrast of dispositions.

I believe that the classic components of a person's disposition include maturity, wisdom, self-esteem, self-confidence, friendliness and sincerity. Some people are confident but lack friendliness and sincerity. I struggle to understand why God allows unpleasant people to prosper financially. But it is wrong to assume that such people are content in life and will not reap the consequences of their disposition. A lot of people have wealth, but are discontent in life; some people have success, but suffer ill health or relationships problems. It is not easy to say that a person suffers in life because of their disposition; it often seems that good people are the unwitting victims in life. But it seems that it is a person's disposition which greatly influences the choices they make, their behaviour and what they experience in life.

Like often attracts like, unfriendly people often attract people who are just like them. Some women tend to attract abusive partners, but could it have something to do with that woman's disposition? Could she be in a state of fear which leans towards pride and selfishness as a means of self-protection? People-pleasers will often attract manipulative people like a magnet - each compliments the other and sustains that person's flawed disposition, even though they are equal opposites in many respects.