477145
ng Science QuarterlyBunkers / Theoretical Concerns
NSQXXX10.1177/0894318413477145Nursi
Theoretical Concerns
Living Quality:  A Humanbecoming
Phenomenon
Rosemarie Rizzo Parse, RN; PhD; FAAN1
Abstract
The purpose of this article is to set forth the humanbecoming paradigm and the phenomenon living quality, which better
expresses the notion of quality of life from this paradigmatic perspective. The three inherent core knowings of living quality
are described and explained in light of the community change concepts. Living quality with sciencing and living the art of
humanbecoming are also discussed.
Keywords
community change concepts, humanbecoming, humanbecoming paradigm, living quality, Parse, quality of life, sciencing, silence,
wisdom, witness
The term quality of life is ubiquitous; many scholars from vari-
ous disciplines write about the importance of it. The literature
is rife with information that focuses on attributes, variables,
and categories, and ways to measure and enhance physical,
psychological, social, and spiritual well-being. The ontology
guiding this notion of quality of life posits the human as a bio-
psychosocialspiritual being, and the research studies are gener-
ally quantitative and related to functional status, satisfaction,
and role performance in persons with various disease condi-
tions (Bowling & Gabriel, 2007; Chopra & Kamal, 2012;
Dimsdale & Baum, 1995; Dorfman, 1995; Franzen-Dahlin &
Laska, 2012; Hu, Summers, Turnbull, & Zuna, 2011; Lin, Yen,
& Fetzer, 2008; Malott & McAiney, 1995; Pan & Tsai, 2012;
Samuel, Rillotta, & Brown, 2012; Shin & Shin, 2012; Turner,
1993). Only some qualitative nursing research studies and con-
ceptualizations related to the importance of quality of life focus
on direct information in the language of the individual (for
example, Davis & Cannava, 1995; Fisher & Mitchell, 1998;
Mitchell & Jonas-Simpson, 1995; Parse, 1981, 1990, 1994a,
1994b, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2001, 2007a, 2007b; Pilkington &
Mitchell, 2004; Robinson, 1990; Smith, 1990; and others).
The construct quality of life is linguistically static; it refers
to a once-and-for-all designation arrived at through the use
of digital instruments designed to ascertain an individual’s
overall health status. The instruments do not discover a per-
sonal description of quality of life in the individual’s own
words. The instruments yield a snapshot of a moment that
does not reflect the human as a whole-in-motion. The whole-
in-motion refers to the everchanging moments that arise with
the living experiences of being human.
In 1994 Parse wrote that from a humanbecoming per-
spective only the individual living the life can personally
describe quality of life (Parse, 1990, 1994a, 1994b). Since
Nursing Science Quarterly
26(2) 111­–115
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qual means whatness or core, who could better describe the
whatness of a life but the individual? Parse (1994b) said,
“Quality of life as the incarnation of lived experiences is the
indivisible human’s view on living moment to moment as
the changing health patterns of shifting perspectives weave
the fabric of life through the human-universe connected-
ness” (p. 17). The purpose of this article is to posit a recon-
ceptualization of quality of life as living quality.
The change to living quality better expresses the notion that
quality or whatness is everchanging and cannot be measured
by labels that reflect only a moment in time. Furthermore, this
change is logical in light of the evolution of humanbecoming
as a unique paradigm (Figure 1). A paradigm shift adds a
totally new view to a discipline; it does not just reflect a change
within the traditional system but, rather, is a transformation of
all significant concepts (like quality of life) that changes the
structure of the whole. The humanbecoming paradigm is just
such a transformation; it deviates significantly from the total-
ity and simultaneity paradigms (Parse, 1987, 1998). It arose
with the introduction of the meaning of humanbecoming as
one word and humanuniverse as one word; with the specifica-
tion of the foregrounding postulates (illimitability, paradox,
freedom, and mystery); with the new conceptualization,
becoming visible-invisible becoming of the emerging now; and
with the epistemological change to universal living experi-
ences (Parse, 2007b, 2010, 2012).
1
Distinguished Professor Emeritus, Loyola University Chicago
Contributing Editor:
Sandra Schmidt Bunkers, RN, PhD, FAAN, Professor of Nursing, South
Dakota State University, 1119 Plum Creek Road, Sioux Falls, SD 57105
Email: tsbunkers@sio.midco.net
112 Nursing Science Quarterly 26(2)
Totality Paradigm Simultaneity Paradigm
Ontology Ontology
Human—Biopsychosocialspiritual Human—Unitary pattern
being
Universe—Internal and external Universe—Unitary pattern in
environment mutual process with the human
Health—A state and process of well- Health—A value; a process
being
Epistemology Epistemology
Human attributes Human patterns
Methodologies (Research and Methodologies (Research and
practice) practice)
Quantitative, qualitative, mixed Quantitative, qualitative, praxis
Steps of the nursing process Pattern recognition
 
Figure 1. Paradigms of the discipline of nursing.
The change to one word for humanbecoming and huma-
nuniverse makes explicit the idea of indivisibility. The fore-
grounding postulates permeate all of the principles (Figure 2),
specifying the inherent unbounded knowings, contextually
construed liberation, pattern preferences, and the unexplain-
able of humanbecoming (Parse, 2007b, 2010, 2012). The
new conceptualization, becoming visible-invisible becom-
ing of the emerging now (Parse, 2012), clarifies the idea of
all-at-onceness, which is the whatness that humans are liv-
ing. “Becoming visible-invisible becoming is the living
moment that brings to the fore the idea that meaning changes
with each unfolding living experience incarnating remem-
bering-prospecting all-at-once” (Parse, 2012, p. 44).The
epistemological change from universal lived to universal liv-
ing experience clarifies that the personal description of an
experience encompasses all-at-once remembering-prospect-
ing as it is appearing in the now moment. This change distin-
guishes the humanbecoming methods from all other
qualitative methods of inquiry (Figure 1, Figure 2). These
aforementioned changes forecast a new paradigm, since the
ideas remove humanbecoming from the confines of the
metaparadigm and other paradigms in nursing. It is a natural
consequence of paradigm evolution, then, to conceptualize
anew key constructs, like quality of life.
Living Quality
Living quality refers to the individual’s core whatness, the stuff
of a life. What is the whatness? It is the living community that
each individual august presence is—the humanuniverse
cocreation with predecessors, contemporaries, and succes-
sors (Parse, 1992, 1994b, 1996, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2007a,
Humanbecoming Paradigm
Ontology
Humanuniverse—Indivisible, unpredictable,
everchanging cocreation
 
Living quality—Becoming visible-invisible becoming
of the emerging now
Epistemology
Universal human living experiences
Methodologies (Sciencing and living the art)
Qualitative
True presence
Illuminating meaning, synchronizing rhythms,
mobilizing transcendence
2007b). This means that humans are the cocreated histories
of who they are becoming at the moment (Parse, 2003). The
histories are all of the humanuniverse experiences that indi-
viduals are living as community. Individuals are continually
writing their personal biographies for which nothing is fore-
closed, when considering the humanbecoming postulates:
illimitability, paradox, freedom, and mystery (Parse, 2007b).
There is only the indivisible, unpredictable, everchanging
moment-to-moment moving-initiating, anchoring-shifting,
and pondering-shaping, cocreating living quality as the core
whatness in the emerging now of everyday situations.
Moving-initiating, anchoring-shifting, and pondering-shap-
ing are ways of living quality (Parse, 1999, 2003).
Core Knowings of Living Quality
Living quality has three inherent core knowings, fortifying
wisdom, discerning witness, and penetrating silence. The
construct living quality with its three inherent core knowings
(fortifying wisdom, discerning witness, and penetrating
silence), then, is the ongoing incarnating of moment-to-
moment indivisible, unpredictable, everchanging meaning
arising with the becoming visible-invisible becoming of the
emerging now. The core knowings are lived with moving-
initiating, anchoring-shifting, and pondering-shaping.
Inherent core knowings comprise the whatness of the human
breathing forth the uniqueness of living quality.
Fortifying Wisdom
Fortifying wisdom is invigorating sagacity shown with the
individual as community cocreating what is important in
 Assumptions Synthesized Assumptions Postulates Principles Concepts and Paradoxes

The human with universe is coexisting while Humanbecoming is Illimitability is the indivisible Structuring meaning is the Imaging: explicit-tacit;
coconstituting rhythmical patterns. structuring meaning, freely unbounded knowing imaging and valuing of reflective-prereflective
The human is open, freely choosing meaning choosing with situation. extended to infinity, the languaging. Valuing:
with situation, bearing responsibility for Humanbecoming is all-at-once remembering- Configuring rhythmical patterns confirming–not confirming
decisions. configuring rhythmical prospecting with the is the revealing-concealing and Languaging:
The human is continuously coconstituting humanuniverse emerging now. enabling-limiting of connecting- speaking–being silent;
patterns of relating. patterns. Paradox is an intricate separating. moving–being still
The human is transcending illimitably with Humanbecoming is rhythm expressed as a Cotranscending with possibles is Revealing-concealing: disclosing–not
possibles. cotranscending illimitably pattern preference. the powering and originating of disclosing
Becoming is human-living-health. with emerging possibles. Freedom is contextually transforming. Enabling-limiting:
Becoming is rhythmically coconstituting Humanbecoming is construed liberation. potentiating-restricting
humanuniverse. humanuniverse cocreating Mystery is the Connecting-separating: attending-
Becoming is the human’s patterns of relating a seamless symphony. unexplainable, that which distancing
value priorities. cannot be completely Powering: pushing-resisting;
Becoming is transcending with possibles. known unequivocally. affirming–not affirming;
Becoming is the human’s emerging. being-nonbeing
Originating:
certainty-uncertainty;
conforming–not conforming
Transforming:
familiar-unfamiliar

Figure 2. Humanbecoming assumptions, postulates, principles, concepts, and paradoxes.

113
114 Nursing Science Quarterly 26(2)
the moment. The individual as community (Parse, 2003) is
living a chosen quality while removing barriers and initiat-
ing anew in the day-to-day. Fortifying wisdom dwells with
the individual’s explicit-tacit knowings, as the individual is
moving and at once initiating ways to strengthen personal
value priorities. In living the explicit-tacit knowings of the
core whatness, meanings change moment to moment and
are shown in the individual’s unfolding speech, silence,
movement, and stillness.
The whatness of the emerging now surfaces as the indi-
vidual with wisdom is earthing and unearthing personal
knowings, as living with diverse currents offers opportuni-
ties and at once restrictions for moments of buoyancy in the
mist of ambiguity. For the individual, living quality is fraught
with the intensity of calm-turbulent rhythms that invite vigi-
lance as the shifting winds of the unexpected cocreate differ-
ent familiar-unfamiliar patterns. Individuals with their
inherent fortifying wisdom cocreate their quality as they
forge onward with persistently propelling while navigating
the sure-unsure pressures of everydayness. Living quality is
shown with and without words revealing and at once con-
cealing the meaning of the moment. It is the individual’s wis-
dom that inspires, pushes, and configures patterns that fortify
the climbing, immersing, drifting, soaring, and swingshifting
as ways of moving on with what is the becoming visible-
invisible becoming of the emerging now. The patterns of for-
tifying wisdom resolutely affirm the stuff of living that is the
individual’s quality at the moment.
Discerning Witness
Discerning witness is cautiously attending to and distancing
from that which enables and limits opportunities in choosing
the whatness of personal living. It is with the anchoring and
at once shifting that the individual as community lives a
chosen quality with persisting-diversifying. Witnessing with
others, ideas, objects, and events is a way of incarnating an
individual’s valued projects. Engagement with these projects
cocreates living quality at the moment, identifying that
which is irreplaceable about the individual. What is irre-
placeable about an individual is shown in valued projects
and relationships; it is how the individual is continually
coming to be known. Discerning witness is transforming as
the individual’s contextually construed choices cocreate the
living of preferred patterns that emerge with unbounded
unexplainable knowings.
An individual chooses ways of living that mean quality in
delighting in and at once giving up cherished somethings; thus
discerning witness is shown with savoring the treasured and
often sacrificing the desired. The way that individuals describe
living quality with and without words shows a reverence for
what is significant and reveals and at once conceals personal
value priorities. With the individual’s discerning, what is
highly valued is anchored in tradition with conforming, yet
not-conforming as the certainty-uncertainty of the emerging
now illuminates the familiar-unfamiliar in new light. The
individual is always choosing, and even with the ever-present
discerning, the choosings are without explicitly knowing all of
the consequences. Discerning witness moves individuals at
every unfolding moment in anchoring with persisting amid
shifting with diversifying in cautiously attending with the
everchanging. With discerning witness the individual as com-
munity is living a chosen quality with what comes up with the
becoming visible-invisible becoming of the emerging now.
Penetrating Silence
Penetrating silence is piercing quiet in solemn stillness. It is
the perfect intimacy of the unutterable that permeates the
whatness of being. In the depth of being the echoes of still-
ness penetrate the reality of the moment. Penetrating silence
incarnates the pondering and at once shaping of living qual-
ity. With pondering-shaping the individual as community is
living a chosen quality while contemplating and at once
configuring anew in poised quietude.
Living quality emerges with ruminating with illimitable
options as the penetrating silence of explicit-tacit knowings
arises with the possibles surfacing in the emerging now. It is the
meaning of the moment as the individual composes value pri-
orities in dialoguing with and listening to others. The individu-
al’s quality is cocreated with others, ideas, objects, and events
that enable and limit choices, while revealing and concealing
who the individual is becoming. Living quality as described by
individuals is their truth for the moment that incarnates all
choosings as shown in their patterns of speech, silence, move-
ment, and stillness. In the depth of penetrating silence is the
inevitable embracing of the whatness of living. The unutterable
of the illimitable spawns there―with the silence where the
awesomeness of becoming penetrates living quality.
Living Quality: Sciencing and Living
the Art of Humanbecoming
With the perspective of the humanbecoming paradigm the
conceptualization living quality is set forth here as a guide to
sciencing and living the art of humanbecoming. In sciencing
to discover structures of living quality, the researcher selects
phenomena arising from the inherent core knowings (fortify-
ing wisdom, discerning witness, and penetrating silence).
The phenomena include universal living experiences such as
feeling strong, feeling unsure, doing the right thing, choos-
ing to be silent, creating something new, being vigilant,
being cautious, being surprised, trusting another, sacrificing
something important, feeling delighted, respecting another,
making a critical decision, feeling sad, suffering, feeling
contented, feeling alone, and many others.
When living the art of humanbecoming, nurses and other
health professionals who wish to know about the living quality
of a person, the key question is what is important to you now?
This question honors the august presence of the person and
incarnates the questioner’s own humanbecoming value priori-
ties, which include respecting that the person knows the way
Parse 115
and not labeling or criticizing the person’s choices but, rather,
bearing witness as the person cocreates becoming.
Conclusion
The humanbecoming paradigm posited here as a contribu-
tion to the ongoing evolution of nursing knowledge, guides
sciencing, living the art, teaching-learning, and leading-fol-
lowing. The change from quality of life to the construct liv-
ing quality flows from the humanbecoming paradigm and
expands the horizon of thinking to embrace the idea that the
whatness of a human life is individual—indivisible, unpre-
dictable, everchanging. It exposes the idea that the becoming
visible-invisible becoming of the emerging now is the what-
ness or quality that the human is living at the moment with
the inherent core knowings of fortifying wisdom, discerning
witness, and penetrating silence.
Declaration of Conflicting Interests
The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect
to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.
Funding
The author(s) received no financial support for the research,
authorship, and/or publication of this article.
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