Though health might seem to be a monolithic concept the interpretation of which is unanimous across all cultures, the idea of being healthy and leading a healthy life, in fact, varies substantially. In fact, perception differences in the subject matter may be informed not only by cultural specifics but also by individual interpretations of health. Since I have been exposed primarily to the Western concept of health throughout my entire life, I tend to believe that health is a state of being physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually well.
Admittedly, the proposed definition requires the presence of a certain degree of health literacy in order to determine that one is healthy based n the proposed definition. Specifically, to define whether my current health status aligns with the norm, I will need to examine my physical and mental experiences in order to locate the ones that deviate from the established standard. Remarkably, while the presence of discomfort or distress is an important sign of being unwell, the lack thereof does not necessarily indicate that one is completely healthy; instead, it might imply that one is unaware that specific physical or mental experiences are deemed as signs of health distress.
Overall, my definition of health is contingent upon my current extent of knowledge regarding the phenomenon of health, the lessons that my teachers gave me, and the instances of health practice that I have observed so far. In particular, studying health and medicine has illustrated that the notion of health is much more complex than the traditional idea of feeling well. Specifically, I have been taught that being healthy incorporated physical, mental, and emotional components that need to be assessed properly in order to determine whether one is fully healthy. Moreover, I have learned that low health literacy rates among general audiences prevent people from identifying health concerns before they develop to the point where they reduce their quality of life significantly. Therefore, my idea of health has changed as I have been exploring health and medicine and communicating with experts.
My current definition of health has a certain effect on how I interact with people around me and the world. In general, I tend to avoid attaching labels associated with disability or mental health issues when communicating with people whose appearance or behavior misalign with the expected presentation. As a result, I remain open to new ideas and perspectives, particularly, the concepts of diversity, multiculturalism, and acceptance. Nonetheless, it does not mean that I take the concept of health lightly; on the contrary, I make sure that my health issues, as well as those of my family members, are promptly identified and addressed.
Due to the profound impact of Western culture to which I have been exposed, I tend to perceive the state of being healthy as having no concerns regarding one’s mental, physical, and emotional status. However, the specified definition is somewhat flawed since it implies that one’s health literacy rates are enough to identify a physical, mental, or emotional health concern and determine it as a deviation from the norm. Overall, I would like to add that being healthy primarily concerns being content with one’s state and not experiencing any distress. Nevertheless, by embracing different cultural perceptions of health and conducting further evidence-based research on the subject matter, I will be able to improve the specified definition, making it more inclusive and, therefore, more effective in addressing the needs of diverse populations.