Natalya Edwards
People who prefer quality over quantity believe in ‘less is more’. They don’t need an abundance of things to live a great quality of life.
In fact, people with a preference for quality are selective with their choices.
Relationships, possessions, hobbies – you name it. ‘Less is more’ applies to every aspect of their life.
So, what are the common habits of people who prefer quality over quantity?
This is what we’ll explore in this article. Take a seat and let us learn the ways of quality-loving people!
1) They are meticulous in their work
People who prefer quality over quantity have great attention to detail and are meticulous in their work.
They don’t just think of the bigger picture or the end goal. It’s more about the process.
People who place quality above quantity care about the details, so they’ll take extra time to iron them out.
It might take them longer, but it’s worth it for them. That’s because being meticulous leads to higher-quality results.
I’m sure you’ve heard of J.R.R. Tolkien, who wrote the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Did you know it took him 12 whole years to complete that series? If you’ve read them, you’d understand why.
Tolkien was all about the details when he created the immersive world, cultures, languages and history that form his books.
Now, these are details that many prolific authors would opt to skip in order to finish their books quicker (and publish more of them). But not Tolkien.
This is a man who defined meticulous with his high-fantasy novels, creating a living and breathing world in the process.
2) They practice patience
You can’t be meticulous without having patience! If you’re not the patient type, you probably wouldn’t be willing to spend extra time on your work. You’d want to finish it as soon as possible so you can move on to something else!
But people who prioritize quality over quantity realize that patience is needed to produce high-quality work.
It’s not just work this applies to, though. It applies to making life choices too.
We have to make many decisions in our life, but some are not easy to make. That’s why people who put quality first take the time to make the best decision for them.
3) They weigh out the pros and cons before making a decision
Like I said, people who prefer quality over quantity aren’t rash when it comes to making decisions, especially the big ones.
Before they come to that choice, they’ll weigh out the pros and cons.
They’ll get advice from their friends or family, do their research and reflect on past experiences.
They’ll also do some deep thinking and ask questions like, ‘How will I benefit from this decision?’ ‘Will it make me happy?’ ‘Perhaps I should save some more money first before I buy that?’
There’s also something else quality-loving people do when pondering a decision.
4) They consider the long-term benefits of their choices
We can’t talk about making choices without considering their long-term benefits!
Sure, the short-term benefits might be good. But what about the long-term ones?
Would making a particular decision help them in the long run, or would they be worse off in the future?
Waiting may take longer. But like I told you, people who put quality above all else have the patience to do this.
Since the long-term benefits matter to them, they are also better positioned to resist temptations.
Say that they are on a diet. They want to lose a few pounds and generally live a healthier lifestyle.
They know they’ll be better off from the end result. That means they won’t gauge on kit kat bars at the first chance they get!
5) They make choices based on their personal values
They’ll also stick to their personal values when it comes to the choices they make.
You won’t catch them buying a bunch of branded products, nor will they have a million friends just for the sake of being popular and cool.
I mean, that’s all well and good, but people who prefer to have quality in their life will stand by what’s important to them.
For one thing, they value authenticity. This means they’ll stay true to themselves.
If they have a quirky sense of style, they’ll buy clothes that align with that.
If they like knitting in their spare time, they will knit because they enjoy it. They aren’t going to take on a load of hobbies they’re not interested in because other people are doing it.
They’ll do what makes them happy, comfortable, and fulfilled – all of the positive words in the book that makes them feel good.
6) They focus on a select few, but meaningful friendships
As I mentioned, those with a preference for quality aren’t going to have a million friends. It’s hard to put time into deepening relationships with many people.
This is why people who prefer quality over quantity tend to only have a few friends.
For them, developing meaningful relationships with fewer people is more manageable than spreading themselves thin with lots of friends.
Also, surface-level or small talk-only type friends does nothing for them.
They’d much rather have friends who 1. Know them through and through, and 2. Who they can turn to when they’re happy, sad, angry, upset or any other emotion under the rainbow.
Basically, they prefer to have a few select loyal friends, or as I call them, the friends for life type friends.
7) They spend their time wisely
There may be lots of things that people who prefer quality over quantity want to do. However, they realize they don’t have the time or energy to do everything. After all, we only have a certain number of hours in the day.
So, they’d rather spend time on the things they’re most interested in.
This is the opposite for people who put quantity above quality – they’ll try to fit as many things into their schedule as possible.
But for our quality lovers, they know that doing this will only zap their energy. They simply wouldn’t be able to keep up the momentum of juggling multiple things at once.
Instead, they’ll dedicate time to a few things to preserve their energy. This also allows them to have more balance in their life.
8) They spend time mastering their chosen interests
This also gives them the time to master their chosen interests.
You can’t be the master of everything. Imagine trying to learn Spanish, play the piano, get ripped abs, write a novel, and learn to do a backflip – all at the same time?
Although that would be nice, pulling it off would be almost impossible unless you’re some sort of wizard.
That said, people who prefer quality over quantity will spend time mastering the interests that speak the most to them.
And because they’ve chosen a few select interests, it gives them more hours in the day to dedicate to and master them.
9) They have minimalist spending habits
Remember when I talked about how you wouldn’t catch people who prefer quality buying a load of branded products? Well, that’s because they’re not the materialistic type.
They are minimalists who enjoy simplicity.
People who prioritize quality don’t need an abundance of things to make them happy. So, they save more money than those on quantity’s side.
Quality lovers spend their money on fewer things. Here’s the thing, though. They are wise when it comes to what they spend their money on. It all comes back to choice.
They’ll buy more expensive things, but they last longer.
Let me give you an example. Shoes.
I used to buy cheap shoes that would last only a few months before the soles wore out. Then I’d have to replace them. I’d go through about four shoes a year.
Now I spend more on one pair of shoes that will last me years. It’s well worth the investment!
10) They are mindful of the food they eat 
People who prefer quality are also willing to spend more money on food that’s better for their health.
If we go back to those long-term benefits I mentioned. This line of thinking extends to their food choices.
They realize that junk food is not good for them and can impact their health in the long run.
This is why they choose to avoid these foods and go for healthy options instead.
At the end of the day, it’s the healthy stuff that will give them all the necessary nutrients and more energy to last throughout the day.
They’ll also take the time to whip up a nutritious meal in the kitchen rather than get a takeout.
Yes, it might take them longer to eat. But like I told you, they’re patient!
11) They choose experiences over materialistic things
Let’s move on to the last common habit of people who prefer quality over quantity.
As minimalists, they don’t need many materialistic possessions to be fulfilled.
As a matter of fact, experiences hold more weight to them than materialistic things.
There are a number of reasons for this. Experiences are long-lasting. Their experiences and memories have more impact on their lives.
They learn and grow from their experiences, get to try new things, meet diverse people and be at one with nature.
This is something that materialistic things like shoes, jewelry, clothes and the like can’t offer.
Final thoughts
People who prefer quality over quantity are meticulous and selective with their choices.
They may have less than those who opt for quantity, but what they do have holds more value to them.
We’re talking friends, hobbies, interests, food choices and so on. Whatever it is, they choose the things that mean the most to them.
And by doing this, quality lovers can save more money, lead a healthier lifestyle and have more meaningful relationships, to name a few.
