The subjective and relational dimension of Good Living

In relation to health, increasing attention has been given to the concept of Good Living, which proposes to go beyond the possible condition of the individuals and highlights the role of "others", both proximal and distal, and their useful contribution in promoting the full expression of the individuals' abilities, the possibility of using their resources optimally, of participating and contributing on a social level. Good Living throughout the life span is in fact related to two fundamental aspects. On the one hand, the presence of individual capacities that grow throughout development and that constitute the equipment the person has to face both challenges and changes, both physical and contextual. On the other hand, the need for a rich environment in which the individual is embodied and on which the maturation of these resources rely, as well as the possibility of adequately addressing the innumerably varied challenges of the life course and development. The condition at a given moment becomes therefore the result of an interaction between the individual and the context, that continuously shapes the development of the person and offers the opportunity for actions that are different and tailored to the different life periods. Drawing from the psychological literature on the life cycle, this chapter therefore aims to address the issue of the combination of subjective and environmental resources as determinants of the condition of living well. It will thus be highlighted that concepts such as adjustment (understood as the ability to do the best one can with the available resources), social inclusion, preservation of autonomy, individual growth, and self-realization, should be considered and reshaped throughout the life span, based on the changing and dynamic interaction between individual and relational variables.