Personal Freedom Indicator

Project profile

What it is

Personal Freedom Indicator (PFI) estimates room for personal freedom via 24 browser-based questions across career, housing, finances, life infrastructure, family, and relationships—assuming some degree of choice exists. The result is a score from 0 to 100 and a four-level tier (C / B / A / S). See Scoring & tiers for the formula.

Because time and mobility are part of the score, results often reflect time and movement more strongly in lives with heavy unpaid care (childcare, elder care) or household work. That shows how your daily life maps onto this index—not a moral judgment.

What it is NOT

• Not a judgment of ability, personality, character, or human worth.
• Not a medical diagnosis, psychological assessment, legal advice, or career aptitude test.
• Not universal across cultures and economies (presumes some choice exists).
• Not for ranking against others—a mirror for structural self-understanding.

Design philosophy

Negative liberty: freedom from external constraint, coercion, and lock-in. All 24 items count toward the index across six categories. Each carries [Theory], [Ref], and [Ops] annotations (behavioral economics, sociology, cognitive science, organizational psychology).

Privacy

Scoring runs on the client. No name or contact details are collected. Optional cohort fields (Anonymous profile) are used only for anonymous statistics and AI consultation prompts.

Live app experience (current)

Assessment flow

1. Intro explainer (what PFI is and is not)
2. Cohort gate: anonymous profile basics (5 required fields; residence area and children count optional)
3. 24 questions (A / B / C per item; strict N/A when objectively not applicable)
4. Optional subjective wellbeing gate (1–5, excluded from index)
5. Result screen

Subjective wellbeing (optional, excluded from index): Setting freedom aside for a moment, do you feel your current life is happy? Scale 1 (not at all) to 5 (very much).

Result screen

• Personal Freedom Indicator score (0–100) and tier label (C / B / A / S)
• Per-dimension score breakdown (6 tags: economic, time, place, health, relationships, organization)
• Self-analysis report: per-question cards with chosen option and annotation

Primary action: After score overview and caution notice: open the share/consult hub ("Share or consult" card). Choose plain result copy for SNS or the 3-step AI consultation wizard.

AI consultation wizard

Build a copy-paste prompt for an external LLM. The prompt header instructs the LLM to load /about/ first for full question text, scoring, categories, and annotations—keeping mobile prompts short.

1. Step 1 — Anonymous profile: Summary with optional edit. Education, industry, and occupation are required before continuing. Cohort basics can be edited here.
2. Step 2 — Consultation task: Pick one of 13 task templates (none selected by default).
3. Step 3 — Confirm and copy: Full prompt preview (title, rules, fixed data bundle, task). Optional edit before copying to clipboard.

15 selectable tasks: counterfactualScenario, thirdPartyPerspective, futureFreedomPrediction, freedomTradeoffs, cohortAverageComparison, customProfileSimulation, sRankStructureComparison, hiddenPrerequisites, residenceAreaInversion, genderInversion, tierStructureExamples, figureFreedomSimulation, fictionFreedomContrast, freedomHappinessMismatchExamples, sameScoreDifferentIndustry

UI locales: ja, en, zh, es, hi, ar, pt, fr, ru, ko (full localized question banks). Authoritative copy for external AI: questionsByLocale.en in the JSON spec; ja and zh are reference translations.

Anonymous profile fields

Optional anonymous cohort attributes for aggregate statistics and for enriching AI consultation prompts. No name, email, or contact details are collected. Processed on the client. A one-time anonymous stats payload may be sent when the user opens the AI consultation wizard on the result screen. Subjective wellbeing (1–5) is separate and does not affect the Personal Freedom Indicator.

• Required before questions (cohort gate): ageBand, gender, countryAlpha2, familyStructure, employmentType
• Required in AI consultation wizard: ageBand, gender, countryAlpha2, familyStructure, employmentType, educationLevel, industrySector, occupationCategory

6 categories

1. (index 0) Economic
2. (index 1) Time
3. (index 2) Place
4. (index 3) Health
5. (index 4) Relationships
6. (index 5) Organization

Scoring & tiers

• 24 questions; A = 2 / B = 1 / C = 0 / N/A excluded.
• Formula: index = round( clamp( 0, 100, (S / (2 * n)) * 100 ) ) (S = sum of points; n = valid answer count; index = 0 when n = 0).

Tiers

N/A applicability policy (strict)

N/A is reserved for objective non-applicability only (the premise of the question does not apply, e.g. no such contract, role, or household). It must not be used as a generic skip for uncertainty, discomfort, or refusal; use A/B/C or redesign the item. See project spec §5.1.1.

All questions (English — authoritative)

1. Q1. Roughly what percentage of the income you rely on for living expenses comes from your single largest source?

   Category 0: Economic

   e.g. Salary, business income, spouse or family income, pension, rent income, fees, dividends or interest, other

   • A: Under 50% (multiple pillars)
   • B: 50%-79%
   • C: 90% or more (mostly one source)

   Annotation: [Theory] Household & labor economics: income concentration risk. [Ref] id:2 fixed-expense share; id:3 runway if all income stops. This item is source diversification. [Ops] Under 50% / 50%-79% / 90%+; lower is higher freedom.

2. Q2. Roughly what percentage of your take-home income goes to fixed spending?

   Category 0: Economic

   e.g. Rent, food, various loans, repayments, health insurance, tuition, remittances, caregiving, utilities, telecom, other

   • A: Under 40%
   • B: 40%-69%
   • C: 70% or more

   Annotation: [Theory] Behavioral economics & scarcity: financial stress and cognitive load. [Ref] European housing-cost statistics define a burden when housing alone exceeds 40% of disposable income; this item extends to all fixed spending. [Ops] Under 40% / 40%-69% / 70%+; lower is higher freedom.

3. Q3. If all income stopped suddenly, about how long could you maintain your current standard of living without strain?

   Category 0: Economic

   e.g. Cash, checking/savings, readily liquid financial assets (excluding real estate etc. that cannot be sold quickly), other

   • A: 6 months or more
   • B: 3 months or more to under 6 months
   • C: Under 3 months

   Annotation: [Theory] Macro household & labor economics: precautionary savings. [Ref] All income stops; period you can maintain current living standard without strain (liquid buffer). Advanced-economy surveys use months of liquid assets; 3-6 months is common planning guidance. [Ops] 6+ / 3 to under 6 / under 3 months; longer is higher freedom.

4. Q4. When something essential for life or work suddenly stops working, which is closest to your situation?

   Category 0: Economic

   e.g. Internet, PC (including employer-provided), smartphone, SNS account suspension, email, payments, transport (car, train, bus, etc.), healthcare access, tools (cooking utensils, instruments, tools, etc.), other

   • A: I can replace each quickly with no serious impact
   • B: No serious impact at first, but prolonged outage would clearly harm life, health, or income
   • C: No substitute and no clear outlook; life, health, or income affected that day

   Annotation: [Theory] Reliability engineering: redundancy, single points of failure. [Ops] A immediate substitute / B delayed harm / C same-day harm; higher is higher freedom.

5. Q5. If you had a reason to move to another region or country, how soon could you relocate at the earliest?

   Category 2: Place

   e.g. Resignation/handover, lease termination, property sale, packing, disposing unwanted items, family school transfers, healthcare switch, other

   • A: Within 1 month
   • B: 1-3 months
   • C: Over 3 months, or practically extremely difficult

   Annotation: [Theory] Regional & urban economics: mobility friction, exit cost. [Ref] Employment, rental, and school adjustments often span weeks to months. [Ops] Within 1 month / 1-3 months / over 3 months or practically difficult; shorter is higher freedom.

6. Q6. What is the shortest time to end or fully pay off your main current contracts without major trouble?

   Category 2: Place

   e.g. Employment, rental, housing or auto loans, business contracts, insurance, other

   • A: Within 1 month
   • B: 2-3 months
   • C: 4 months or more

   Annotation: [Theory] Transaction-cost economics: contract lock-in, exit cost. [Ref] Notice periods of 1-3 months are common in practice. [Ops] Within 1 month / 2-3 months / 4+ months; shorter is higher freedom.

7. Q7. If you lost important credentials, organizational affiliation, or family ties due to trouble, how much could you maintain your life and income with only your personal skills and track record?

   Category 0: Economic

   e.g. Scenarios: credential revocation, dismissal, expulsion, disownment, estrangement, divorce, excommunication, loss of residence status, other Alternatives: professional knowledge and skills (languages, photography, cooking, programming, etc.), patents and royalties, social media and blogging, creative work (writing, music, art, etc.), other

   • A: Could mostly maintain the status quo, or current life does not depend on credentials or family ties
   • B: Could reasonably expect to maintain roughly 50%-80% with portable skills alone
   • C: Little other track record; if social credentials were lost, outlook for life would be bleak

   Annotation: [Theory] Labor & human capital: dependence on social credentials (organization, licenses, family ties) vs portable skills and personal track record. [Ref] Loss of credentials, affiliation, or kin due to trouble; outlook to maintain life and income without them, not whether pay stopped. Sample scenarios = loss examples; alternatives = non-organizational pillars. [Ops] A mostly maintain or not dependent / B reasonable outlook for roughly 50%-80% / C little other track record, bleak outlook; higher is higher freedom.

8. Q8. How many constraints like the following stop you from freely choosing where you live or work?

   Category 2: Place

   e.g. Work visa, residence status, military service, public office, probation, travel ban, conditional scholarships or grants, traditional or religious residence rules, other

   • A: 0 (mostly free)
   • B: 1 (procedures exist but possible)
   • C: 2 or more (practically very difficult)

   Annotation: [Theory] Public administration: overlapping institutional constraints. [Ops] 0 / 1 / 2+; fewer is higher freedom.

9. Q9. Roughly how much time per day on average can you use freely for yourself?

   Category 2: Place

   e.g. Hobbies, study, exercise, chatting, rest, etc. Do not count housework, childcare, caregiving, sleep, meals, bathing, work, commute, or similar toward free time.

   • A: 5 hours or more
   • B: 2 hours or more to under 5 hours
   • C: Under 2 hours

   Annotation: [Theory] Sociology of time use: discretionary time free from obligation or coercion. [Ref] Time-use discretionary vs obligation contrast; subjective daily average (week÷7 OK). [Ops] 5+ / 2 to under 5 / under 2 hours; more is higher freedom.

10. Q10. Of housework, caregiving, and other tasks that keep daily life running, roughly what share do you feel you must do yourself because outsourcing or automation is not realistically available?

    Category 2: Place

    e.g. Cleaning services, robot vacuum, dishwasher, dryer, care, childcare, sitters, delivery, laundry, online grocery, other

    • A: Under 30%
    • B: 30%-79%
    • C: 80% or more

    Annotation: [Theory] Behavioral economics: obligation to self-provide time. [Ref] Uses subjective "must do yourself," not income alone. [Ops] Under 30% / 30%-79% / 80%+; lower is higher freedom.

11. Q11. In the past year, on how many days in total did health reasons force you to cancel or greatly change planned activities?

    Category 3: Health

    e.g. Work, medical visits, exercise, travel, hobby plans, other

    • A: 0 days
    • B: 1-5 days
    • C: 6 days or more

    Annotation: [Theory] Public health & HRQoL: activity-limitation days. [Ref] id:13 covers hypothetical probability of canceling all plans that day. [Ops] 0 / 1-5 / 6+ days; fewer is higher freedom.

12. Q12. While trying to focus on work or study, how often per hour on average must you stop for interruptions that demand an immediate response?

    Category 2: Place

    e.g. Family calls, chat, phone, visitors, other

    • A: Once or less
    • B: 2-3 times
    • C: 4 times or more

    Annotation: [Theory] Cognitive science & HCI: interruption and resumption cost. [Ref] Gloria Mark-style resumption delays as operational reference. [Ops] <=1 / 2-3 / 4+ per hour; fewer is higher freedom.

13. Q13. Assuming you woke up unwell or with urgent business that morning, roughly what is the probability you could cancel all plans for that day?

    Category 3: Health

    e.g. Work attendance (include if paid leave or substitute day off applies), meetings, lessons, optional meals, school runs, other

    • A: 90% or more
    • B: 50%-89%
    • C: Under 50% (almost never, or cleanup cost too high)

    Annotation: [Theory] Labor sociology: schedule control. [Ref] id:11 is health-related change days actually experienced. [Ops] 90%+ / 50%-89% / under 50%; more is higher freedom.

14. Q14. To match your job start times and the routines of family or housemates, on roughly how many days per week do you need to align your bedtime and wake time?

    Category 2: Place

    e.g. Job start times, on-call or night contact, family or housemate routines, other

    • A: 1 or fewer days per week
    • B: 2-5 days per week
    • C: 6 or more days per week

    Annotation: [Theory] Sociology of time: forced synchronization. [Ref] id:13 cancelable plans; this item sleep/wake timing sync, not plan cancellation. [Ops] <=1 / 2-5 / 6+ days; fewer is higher freedom.

15. Q15. When invited to gatherings you are not keen on or approached with solicitations or sales, which is closest to your usual response?

    Category 4: Relationships

    e.g. Drinks with colleagues, alumni or ceremonial events, MLM/network marketing or religious solicitation, insurance or beauty sales, door-to-door sales, other

    • A: Usually decline (unreasonable invites regardless of who asks)
    • B: Sometimes accept without declining, depending on situation or person
    • C: Often swept along into attending or signing up without declining

    Annotation: [Theory] Social/commercial pressure: default response. [Ref] Core item; prior impulse-purchase wording was autonomy-band supplementary. Decline style (direct vs indirect) not scored. [Ops] Usually decline / situational accept / often swept along; A higher freedom.

16. Q16. Among things you invested a lot of money or time in, are any still binding your actions or decisions through attachment or obligation?

    Category 0: Economic

    e.g. Loss-making business, school, paid games, dead-end relationship, fruitless lessons, unfinished work, large unrealized losses, unused luxury goods, problematic relatives, other

    • A: None (including never having such a large investment)
    • B: One
    • C: Two or more

    Annotation: [Theory] Behavioral economics: sunk cost & lock-in. [Ref] Negative liberty: constraint from past commitments. [Ops] None / one / two+; fewer is higher freedom.

17. Q17. Excluding financial and medical limits, roughly what percentage of the time could you decide for yourself when and what to eat?

    Category 3: Health

    e.g. Work dinners and entertainment meals, family menus, prescribed or hospital meals, diet or coach/instructor meal rules, religious taboos, allergy accommodation (medical), other

    • A: 80% or more
    • B: 30%-79%
    • C: Under 30%

    Annotation: [Theory] Eating behavior science: meal discretion (timing x content). [Ref] Financial/medical excluded. Higher % decided = higher freedom (scoring direction opposite to constraint-% items). [Ops] 80%+ / 30%-79% / under 30%.

18. Q18. How many habits or dependencies do you still cannot stop despite wanting to, that seriously affect your daily life?

    Category 3: Health

    e.g. Smoking, alcohol, SNS, games, gambling, phone/video overuse, overspending, adult content, unhealthy relationships, other

    • A: None
    • B: One
    • C: Two or more

    Annotation: [Theory] Habit science & dependence: internal constraints with real cost. [Ref] Index core. [Ops] None / one / two+ (only if you cannot stop and life is seriously affected); fewer is higher freedom.

19. Q19. Regarding relationships with people who exploit you or harm you mentally, in time, or economically, which is closest to your situation?

    Category 4: Relationships

    e.g. Moral harassment, exploitative ties, cutting contact, blocking, brainwashing, mind control, other

    • A: No such relationship
    • B: Some apply, but I can usually cut off or leave / only some relationships / only sometimes
    • C: Almost cannot (unwanted relationships remain)

    Annotation: [Theory] Family & social psychology: exit cost from relationships. [Ref] id:7 organization/title; id:16 objects/projects; this item is interpersonal. [Ops] None / partial / almost cannot; higher is higher freedom.

20. Q20. In the company, organization, or community you belong to, which is closest regarding cramped rules or customs you cannot realistically change yourself?

    Category 5: Organization

    e.g. How work is done, team/member management, when breaks are allowed, taking paid leave, staying late with the group, unfair or inefficient rules, outdated tools, mandatory office attendance, dress/grooming rules, quotas, detailed work-hour rules, standby or on-call time, off-limits areas, restrictions on personal associations, other

    • A: Hardly feel cramped (only necessary minimum rules or customs)
    • B: Feel cramped sometimes in some situations or rules
    • C: Feel cramped repeatedly in many situations, or at least one rule substantially affects work or belonging

    Annotation: [Theory] Industrial & organizational psychology: job control & organizational norms. [Ref] id:19 interpersonal; this item is org rules/customs; ordinal by reach/impact, not percent. [Ops] Hardly / sometimes in part / repeated or substantial impact; higher is higher freedom.

21. Q21. Of assets you earned yourself, roughly what percentage have their use directed or restricted by spouse, family, or organization?

    Category 0: Economic

    e.g. Joint-account rules, household approval, family or religious norms, uses besides remittances and tax, other

    • A: Under 30%
    • B: 30%-79%
    • C: 80% or more

    Annotation: [Theory] Household sociology: constrained discretionary assets. [Ref] Inverse of discretionary funds. [Ops] Under 30% / 30%-79% / 80%+; lower is higher freedom.

22. Q22. In your company, organization, or community, when someone opposes the majority or organizational or community policy, what is the probability they face retaliation such as gossip, shunning, or lower evaluations?

    Category 5: Organization

    e.g. Pay cut, demotion, dismissal, physical/psychological exclusion, disownment, violence or restraint, lawsuit, fines, other

    • A: Under 10% (virtually no penalty)
    • B: 10%-50% (penalties sometimes occur)
    • C: 51% or more (high probability of retaliation)

    Annotation: [Theory] Organizational psychology: psychological safety & fear of retaliation. [Ops] Under 10% / 10%-50% / 51%+; lower is higher freedom.

23. Q23. For important decisions, roughly what percentage cannot proceed without someone else's approval or consent?

    Category 4: Relationships

    e.g. Career, study, job change, leaving job, housing, large payments, marriage/divorce/dating, pregnancy/birth, starting a business, other

    • A: Under 10%
    • B: 10%-50%
    • C: 51% or more

    Annotation: [Theory] Family sociology & organizations: others' gatekeeping on decisions. [Ref] Index core. Exclude courtesy-only consultation. id:21 asset use. [Ops] Under 10% / 10%-50% / 51%+; lower is higher freedom.

24. Q24. When you are unwell, how close is your situation to being able to receive needed medical care (visits, tests, medication, procedures) without barriers from money, travel, or time?

    Category 3: Health

    e.g. Commute to clinics, childcare, night/weekend care, insurance and out-of-pocket costs, prescription continuity, specialist wait times, work hours, other

    • A: Rarely blocked
    • B: Sometimes delayed or I give up
    • C: Often delayed, I give up, or cannot access care

    Annotation: [Theory] Healthcare access & barriers: financial, mobility, temporal. [Ref] id:4 substitutes, id:11 health cancellations, id:13 schedule control. [Ops] A rarely / B sometimes / C often; higher is higher freedom.

Machine-readable resources

• /spec/personal_freedom_index_spec.json — application/json. Canonical data including all categories, all 24 questions (ja / en / zh), scoring, and tiers.
• /spec/personal_freedom_index_spec.md — Markdown summary.
• /llms.txt — Crawl notes for LLMs.
• /sitemap.xml and /robots.txt.

The site root / is a Flutter SPA (JavaScript required). AI and crawlers should use this page and the JSON spec above. When quoting this project, include the caveat that the index does not measure happiness or life satisfaction.