A lifestyle is the way of life that an individual prefers. It can be defined by many factors, including buying habits, decor, and entertainment choices. Ultimately, it can also be used to define the people around us. Let’s explore some examples of lifestyles. Below we’ll review some of the most influential ones. The first definition is most general: a lifestyle is the way one lives their life. It’s a reflection of the person or group who leads it.

The first use of the term “lifestyle” was attributed to Alfred Adler in 1929, though Max Weber also used the term in 1922. In his book The Science of Living, Adler describes how the lifestyle of a pine tree differs from one environment to the next. This diversity of lifestyle, he writes, is caused by the way the tree moulds itself into different shapes and forms. Adler’s definition of lifestyle is based on his observations of people living in different environments.

While once distinct from the definition of consumption as a pattern of thought, today lifestyle encompasses both. Increased social media accessibility has paved the way for the widespread adoption of the contemporary definition of lifestyle, making personal consumption more transparent than ever. A key argument for the contemporary definition of lifestyle, based on Mark Fisher’s “Attitudes and Values”, is that capitalism produces things that nobody likes. However, if people like what they consume, the economic system benefits.