Lifestyle refers to a set of behaviors, attitudes, habits and possessions chosen by an individual or group that reflect their personality or values and is an expression of who they are as an individual or a collective entity.
Alfred Adler was responsible for popularizing this term within English-speaking society in 1929, using it to describe how individuals develop feelings of inferiority or superiority in relationships, as well as ways they strive toward fulfilling life goals.
Definition
Lifestyle or lifestyle refers to an integrated way of living that includes patterns for social relationships, consumption, entertainment and dress – often reflecting an individual’s attitudes, values or worldview.
Lifestyle choices of an individual may depend on their views on politics, religion, health, intimacy and more – not forgetting their perception of their self image.
People can also select lifestyles based on the environment in which they reside. For instance, rural environments may feature different choices than urban ones.
Lifestyle was initially coined during the 1950s to refer to artistic styles; since then it has expanded significantly and now describes an assortment of products targeted towards people living glamorous or successful lives.
Meaning
Lifestyle or life-style refers to a collection of social, economic, and psychological patterns that dictate how individuals live their lives. This includes how people interact with one another, dress themselves and select food and beverages for themselves and their families.
Alfred Adler first popularized the term in 1929 in his book titled, The Science of Living. Adler detailed its benefits.
Since that time, several books, articles and reviews on lifestyle have been written. Below is a selection of notable ones written from both scientific and humanist perspectives; more specifically the best definition is provided by American Heritage Dictionary of English Language; lifestyle refers to an “outlook of living”, including patterns such as social relations, consumption habits and dress; it also reflects attitudes, values and outlooks exhibited by people or groups involved. Perhaps most impressively it can be learned and implemented by anyone; making lifestyle a valuable aspect for societies with diverse cultural diversity.
Examples
Lifestyle refers to the way of life of individuals, societies or cultures – which may involve patterns for socializing, consumption, entertainment and dressing.
Marriage can serve as an expression of an individual’s values and outlook on the world, as well as being used to fulfill personal goals such as health, wealth and friendship.
Realistically, lifestyle varies greatly depending on one’s situation and environment; rural living will differ dramatically from life in an urban metropolis.
Successful lifestyles should be balanced, happy, healthy and fulfilling – such as an example being living an optimally satisfying life through making wise decisions such as improving one’s financial health and caring for family. Education and the effective use of one’s resources are often effective means for doing so – however it should always be remembered that creating an ideal life depends on several individual’s preferences, interests and values rather than following an unsustainable formula for living well.
Origins
Lifestyle refers to how one lives their life, reflecting both attitude and values.
Lifestyle can be traced back to 1929 when Austrian psychologist Alfred Adler first used it in his book The Science of Living. At first it referred to one’s basic characteristics established early on in life but by 1961 its definition had broadened further to encompass how individuals lived their lives.
There are various theories surrounding the origins of lifestyle choices. They generally can be divided into two groups: those which stress internal (individualistic) factors as opposed to external influences such as social or collective factors.
