Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Quantifiable Living: Cultural miles-geographic dissatisfaction scale

Per Jenny's request (see comments), I have sought the answer to the question of how to measure a quarter-life crisis in terms of dissatisfaction with all the various elements of one's life, intending to quantify each element in such a way as to make them comparable enough to facilitate eliminating most-dissatisfactory elements.

Unfortunately, as is the way in science, on the course to this discovery, I discovered that types of dissatisfaction require different units of measure: i.e., dissatisfaction of distance/proximity may not be measured on the same scale as dissatisfaction of existence/nonexistence [i.e. "I wish I had a boyfriend"], nor as possessing/not possessing [i.e. "I wish I had her boyfriend"].

Instead of a total-life scale, then, I present the cultural miles - geographic dissatisfaction scale, which when combined with other scales of types of dissatisfaction, should present a well-rounded view of quarter-life ennui.

The search for algorithms to combine dissatisfactions effectively is ongoing.

*****

Emotion: Geographic Dissatisfaction

Unit of measure: Absolute Cultural Miles

How it works: Levels of geographic dissatisfaction -- that is, un/happiness with one's geographic location based on proximity to positive factors (friends, cultural institutions, active local "hippie" population [for hippies], ice cream parlors, some family) or negative factors (enemies, Walmarts, active local "hippie" population [for Republicans], town dumps, some family) -- can be measured in absolute cultural miles (cult. mi.) from Trenton, NJ, which is the absolutely most dissatisfying place on the planet.

The geographically dissatisfied should compare their level of dissatisfaction with that they would be feeling if they were living in the exact geographic center of Trenton, NJ.

The more satisfied they are with the positive factors, the farther from the geographic center of Trenton, NJ, they will rate that factor.

The less satisfied, the closer to Trenton, NJ. they will rate that factor.

Example:
All friends within walking distance: 11,500 cult. mi.

Several independent ethnic grocery stores within walking distance: 8,990 cult. mi.

Smithsonian museum within walking distance: 7,500 cult. mi.

15 Walmarts within walking distance: 220 cult. mi.

Town dump, gelatin factory, and several undesirable relatives within walking distance: 3 cult. mi.

Although cultural miles have little in common with miles, being overset on the current globe, cult. mi. can range from 0 (the exact geographic center of Trenton, NJ) to 12,430 (the exact opposite side of the planet from Trenton, NJ).

Positive cult. mi. beyond 12,430 are not allowable, as any number higher than that would necessitate being closer to Trenton, NJ.

Calibration can be achieved by imagining the best possible circumstance in each aspect of life and rendering that possibility equal to 12,430 cult. mi.

The scale is flexible in terms of what aspects of life are to be considered, how those aspects are to be divided, and what values are assigned to each factor in relation to others. This flexibility accounts for individual variances on types and acuteness of dissatisfactions.

Limits: Actual proximity to Trenton, NJ is taken into account naturally by the scale and thus should not be figured in separately.

Similarly, anyone experiencing positive factors to such a great degree that they would rate one as 12,000 cult. mi. away need not figure where they would actually be living if 12,000 miles away from Trenton, NJ. Satisfaction with the geographic location of the alternative to Trenton, NJ, does not need to be measured on this scale.

Elaborations: There are several methods for using cultural miles to measure dis/satisfaction. These methods relate to each other similarly to mathmatical mean, median and mode, and can be used in various circumstances to calculate levels of dis/satisfaction.

Method 1 always produces a valid value; methods 2 and 3 occasionally do not.

The examples above refer to method 1 calculations.

Method 1: Each factor may be accounted for separately, then averaged.

Method 2: Positive factors may be measured and added to a total cult. mi. distance from Trenton, NJ; negative factors may then be rendered in negative cult. mi. (miles closer to Trenton, NJ) and subtracted from the total positive factor cult. mi. (Note: Cultural miles must fall between 0 and 12,430 for valid result.)

Method 3: Positive factors may be measured on a scale considering 12,430 cult. mi. as the absolute limit for cult. mi., keeping each in proportion to that limit. Negative factors may be measured as negatives considering -12,430 cult. mi. as the absolute limit, keeping each in proportion to that limit. Positive and negative cultural miles may then be combined for total cult. mi. (Note: Cultural miles must fall between 0 and 12,430 for valid result.)

No comments: