Beakers, Polaroids, and Change
Lifestyle is a very broad category, which can be broken down into various sub-categories. Lifestyle is a person’s attitudes, interests, behaviors, and social orientations. The word was first introduced by Austrian psychiatrist Alfred Adler in his famous book, The Case of Miss R. The meaning of the term has since been expanded by American psychiatrist William Sanford in his best selling book, The Anatomy of Everyday Life. The dictionary definition of the word is: “a general disposition to do things in a particular way or to prefer one type of situation over another”.
The concept of lifestyle content is also used in the context of online communities such as META. The Oxford Dictionary definition of this term is: “an overview or description of typical life patterns; also called social life or conduct”. It is very important to note that the word lifestyle is not intended to imply that people have a pre-determined set of behaviors and standards to live their lives by. This word simply describes the general outlook or attitude of an individual.
One of the biggest problems with lifestyles that are portrayed in media, books, and advertisements is that they are generally unrealistic and rarely ever portray a balanced lifestyle. Most lifestyle writings present one set of lifestyle as the norm. These writers may advocate for a healthy lifestyle, but they also spend a lot of time describing the luxurious lifestyle that their characters lead. While many of these books are written to inspire readers to live a healthy lifestyle, they fail to mention that there are healthier ways to approach life.
The most effective way to start living a healthy lifestyle is to adopt new lifestyle changes for yourself. It is much easier to change your view of your lifestyle when you look at it as something you need to do. You have a greater chance of making positive lifestyle changes when you put your needs before your desires. As a matter of fact, lifestyle changes are usually easier to make when you are motivated by your inner desire to be healthy and happy. Therefore, instead of focusing on the things you do not like about your lifestyle, try to focus more on what you like about it. When you use your imagination, you will begin to see more positive aspects about your lifestyle.
A good lifestyle is based on personal psychology. An effective lifestyle is based on self-help programs, social media, exercise, diet, exercise classes, yoga, meditation, stress management, financial planning, and other personal development activities. All of these aspects should work together to help create a happier and healthier lifestyle. People who want to make positive lifestyle changes need to start by defining what they want to accomplish, then setting realistic goals to achieve those goals. Positive lifestyle books, television shows, and movies, can all be helpful in inspiring individuals to find better ways to live.
The Mad Men episode, “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes,” is a perfect example of how changing a life through social media can change a person’s perception of that lifestyle. Social media takes into account a person’s beliefs, ideas, hopes, fears, and aspirations and gives them a different version of reality. Changing a person’s perception of a situation or the world in general is the main goal of lifestyle change. This is why Al Alfred’s “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes” works so well. The character, Pete Campbell, realizes he has to accept his current circumstances if he wants to make a change in his life and therefore decides to change his lifestyle.
In this episode, Pete Campbell goes to the Florence Knoll to meet with a focus group of Florence Knoll residents to discuss smoking. The focus group consists of parents, friends, business people, and financial planners. While sitting through the discussions, which run the length of the episode, Pete gets to know each of the members of the focus group. He discovers that the bulk of their conversation is centered around smoking and Al Alfred offers him the chance to take part in a study group focused on smoking cessation.
The Mad Men writers knew they were taking a risk with this episode by allowing Pete to attend a Florence Knoll focus group. However, the episode proves that change can happen if you choose to see it happen. Changing a lifestyle through social media like the Florence Knoll can help someone not only lead a healthier lifestyle, but can change one’s perception of that lifestyle.
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