The article analyses, from a perspective of political transformation, social opinion on socialism and on quality of life in this system. As political and economic reforms progressed, the beliefs of majority of society in superiority of democracy and free-market economy upon socialism and a centrally planned economy (as presented in 1989’s elections) proved to be ambivalent. Historical and sociological research shows that a large group of Poles holds living standards before 1989 in high esteem. At the same time most Polish people appreciate social change brought by the transformation and the word socialism has generally negative connotation. However, some of them, especially those who spent most of theirs lives in socialistic Poland, show nostalgia for socialism.