LIFESTYLE refers to a concept that has its origin in the work of psychology. Lifestyle is an explanation of a person or people’s attitudes, behaviors, interests, and cultural orientation. The word was first introduced by Austrian psychological pioneer Alfred Adler in his famous 1929 treatise, The Case of Miss R.
The Case of Miss R describes how adults come to determine their basic nature and personality according to their social environment. Adler describes this process as determining one’s “Lifestyle” or personality architecture. The idea is that an adult’s behavior is shaped by the environment in which they grow up and interact with others. Lifestyle is an expression of attitudes toward life, values, and social settings. According to sociologist Peter Sewell, Lifestyle is a mental construct that has emerged as a cultural norm over time. In his book, Why did the Lifestyle of the affluent change from earlier to later generations? (phrine, vol. 2, pp. 9-10), Sewell claims that Lifestyle has been influenced by changes in values, authority, status, power, status, sexual activity, and other factors.
For example, between the Post-war baby boomers and the Post-recession lifestyles of today, it is clear that Lifestyle has undergone profound changes. The baby boomers were brought up in a world in which their basic needs for security were not met, so they developed lifestyles that included plenty of discretionary income and active involvement in community life. Their Lifestyle was more active and healthy and it centered on a strong sense of individualism. The current generation is still living according to the same Lifestyle of yesteryear, just maybe more healthily and extravagantly.
As Lifestyle has changed so have our ideas about the good life style. According to the work of psychology and sociology experts such as Edward Fodor, there is a new model of individual psychology emerging which helps us to understand why certain behaviors are considered to be Lifestyle and why they are not. According to this model of individual psychology and behavior, the key to a healthy life style is an increased sense of self-worth, self-empowerment, personal fulfillment, and social support.
According to Fodor and others, there is a distinction between healthy lifestyles and unhealthy lifestyles, and between stable and unstable lifestyles. Healthy Lifestyles include an active lifestyle and those that involve participation in social activities, healthy eating, and physical fitness activities. This kind of lifestyle is one characterized by the acquisition of wealth, high status, high achievement, frequent marriages or cohabitation, frequent vacations, and active socializing with friends and other people. A lonely life style, on the other hand, is characterized by isolation, invisibility, a history of abuse, lack of education, poverty, and frequent mental illness. A solo lifestyle, by contrast, is a lifestyle in which the person lives by themselves.
The model of individual psychology and behavior that the LIFESTYLE theory suggests may also explain why some groups tend to form collectives rather than individualistic cultures. Such collectives may form around common values and beliefs, rather than a unique origin of an individual. A collectivity might also reflect a shared history and a group identity, but the fact that it shares a common value system does not ensure its success. A successful collectivity will need to define itself and be open to being defined by other collectives. Perhaps the most important feature of a successful LIFESTYLE is that it helps individuals to realize their potential, and to reach for their true potential.