Lifeology 101
Individual identity
A lifestyle typically reflects an individual’s attitudes, values or world view. Therefore, a lifestyle is a means of forging a sense of self and to create cultural symbols that resonate with personal identity. Not all aspects of a lifestyle are voluntary. Surrounding social and technical systems can constrain the lifestyle choices available to the individual and the symbols she/he is able to project to others and themselves.
The lines between personal identity and the everyday doings that signal a particular lifestyle become blurred in what we want to call modern society. For example, “green lifestyle” means holding beliefs and engaging in activities that consume fewer resources and produce less harmful waste (i.e. a smaller carbon footprint), and deriving a sense of self from holding these beliefs and engaging in these activities.
Some people argue that, today, our lifestyle construction is consumption behavior which offers the possibility to create and further individualize ourself with different products or services that signal our different way of life.
Our lifestyle may include views on politics, religion, health, intimacy, and more. All of these aspects play a role in shaping our individual lifestyle.
Health
An individual’s health depends a lot on their lifestyle. Maintaining physical and mental health are crucial to longevity. The more time spent on hygiene, physical fitness, and diet regulation, the healthier lifestyle we have. Those who choose to participate in any kind of physical activity on a weekly basis are generally healthier than those who don’t. I am sure we all can see the mental aspect of choosing a healthier lifestyle. Depression and anxiety can be curbed through proper health and nutrition. At least it helps me with my quirks. LOL
Let me try to set up an example. Mind you, I AM NOT A DOCTOR. However, Google sure helps me to diagnose my own problems… Anyway, depression may promote mental illness through stress and anxiety. Reasons for being depressed can be due to a number of things including job loss, recently widowed, divorce, etc. Depression may lead to or increase the frequency of poor habits of not self-promoting physical health. Poor habits may eventually lead to a poor and even dangerous lifestyle.
More interestingly, a healthy or unhealthy lifestyle will most likely be transmitted across generations. According to the study done by Case et al. (2002), it discovered that when a 0-3 year old child has a mother who practices a healthy lifestyle, this child will be 27% more likely to become healthy and adopt the same lifestyle. In my particular case, my wife and I have been very active in our life and it has spread across to our children… although not as much. Yet! Let’s hope it flow’s even further to include our grandchildren.
I think this is another good example. High income generating parents are more likely to eat organic food, have time to exercise and provide the best living condition to their children. On the other hand, low income parents are more likely to participate in unhealthy activities such as smoking to help them release poverty-related stress and depression.
Another thing I really want to talk about is the ability to afford nutritious food! Low income families will just about always show signs of obesity due to the food choices they have available. Most generally, processed food in a box or other sealed packaging is not healthy. But it is cheap and low income families will get more bang for their buck. This makes me sad!
I think if we are to rid the obesity epidemic, we simply must offer better quality whole foods to our lower income and poverty stricken brothers and sisters. I don’t know how bad the homeless population is in your neck of the woods, but its pretty significant here in the PNW. I kind of went off the rail a bit here, so…
Parents are the first teacher for every child. Everything that parents do will be very likely to be transferred to their children through the learning process. This may not appear straight away during adolescents, but when your children become young adults and begin having families of their own, you will see them begin to take better care of themselves. I think that will be the same with our childrens, children too.
Environment
There are two types of environment for a lifestyle: nature and social. Natural environment is the conditions in which a person operates. an individual dedicated to this prefers to walk to close places, recycles plastic, papers, cans, etc. In an individuals lifestyle, some of this natural environment is needed, fresh air, clean water, clean home, clean neighborhood and a clean example for those at home.
Those who are nature involved decide to plant flowers, vegetables and other crops in their backyard and are extremely strict on how to organize their household waste and uses positive and proactive ways to be environmentally sustainable.
Social environment is totally different. Social Environment includes an individuals living and working conditions, income level, educational background, community and religious beliefs if they have any, in a social environment there are certain expectations from one self or from those around.
Expectations like success and wanting the best. Along with success comes a lot of stress. If there is failure, then there may be mood swings and disappointment. In order for this not to happen, there are better ways to avoid disappointment and failure; organization and structure is the main key element.
Our environment is fast becoming increasingly more volitile with our man-made climate issue. Whether you believe we are driving the climate or not, shouldn’t you at least be cognizant of what you are doing to debeautify this great world of ours? Rolling coal is not the way to act! The reason I say that is that I frequently ride my bike on the roads nearby my work and every once in a while, I will have a stupid ass in a duely just about hit me with their back tires and all the while trying to “roll Coal”.
We seem to be entering into a phase of massive consumerism which is causing our supply and demand for goods and services to go through the roof. Have you seen prices lately at the local box stores for lumber? Holy shit! Who’s getting rich right now? Not me… You will surely hear more from me about this. Until then…
Technology
Technology and diversity have greatly changed the lives of people in society. Technology has positive and negative effects on our daily lives. However, the positivity and negativity of technology depends on how much we use it and how much we are exposed to it.
In other words, our lifestyle controls our use of technology, while technology influences our lifestyles. To begin, technology has changed the fields of agriculture, manufacturing, warfare, transportation, information, medicine, and communication. Pretty much everything we do has technology advances associated to it.
Technology has also made it easier for other factors to affect our lifestyles, such as the media. I believe Trump used this to his advantage to spread all the bullshit Quanon conspiracy shit. All in all though, technology has made our lives much easier dispite stumpy Trumpy, therefore we no longer are required to live vigorous lifestyles that, in the past, contributed to the decline in our health. On the other hand, technology has complicated many lives and has many negative effects.
Technology has the power to deliver media to us that can change our values and views on the world, which in return will change our lifestyles. Also, technology has negative effects on the environment such as pollution. Because of technology such as computers and television, people have a much more sedentary lifestyle, which leads to health complications and issues.
Let’s address this! Do you sit for three or more hours at a time? You work out 2-3 times a day and still have a belly or big ole butt? Sitting is now the next “Smoking Kills” we need to contend with. As a safety person, I too have a sitting addiction. I do have a stand up desk which I am now setting up to help limit the hours I sit per day.
So, What The Hell’s This All Got To Do With Me?
So, what’s all this got to do with me? Hell I don’t know. Just an old r’ man’s ramblings I suppose. I have changed up this site so many times. I’ve gone from one thing to the next. Each time, I wipe it out and started over. I’ve had this site up since about 2004 or so. I refused to wipe it again and actually stopped posting back in 2017. A lot has happened since then and I have a lot to say. All my ramblings will find their way to this website now. That includes the above paragraphs.
The paragraphs above kind of loosely represent what some of the topics will be here and there.
I am no longer writing this blog for others, I am actually writing this blog to cronical my thoughts on life and the world we (currently) live in. A lot of things have happened since I stopped posting back in 2017. It is now 2023 and we are just coming out of the pandemic. A pandemic really makes a person sit back and take a different approach to their life.
Most of my writings will be centered around where I live (USA) and the crazy ass shit we have to deal with now in the aftermath of stumpy trumpy and all of the other assholes in office! I think once the older generation depart this earth who are mostly to conservative (My Opinion), and replaced by our more socialist children of this new generation. We will be trading one shity way for another. Where is the happy medium now?
That is where technology will come into the game. Who knows where quantum computing combined with AI will take us? Probably Mars for sure in my lifetime. So, the last part of politics you’ll “probably” hear from me is this: I’m somewhere in between it all. It is my opinion that everyone is human and therefore should be treated equally. Am I saying Republicans don’t care? That verdict isn’t in yet. Hell, I think there are plenty of dems who don’t care either. Seems many are detached and don’t see humanity as it is. They only see it in a square box as a tik toc, FB post or some other social media outlet.
Let’s talk about me some more. It’s always bad in my opinion to point out others faults without pointing to a few of my own. And I do have plenty to discuss. Just not on this particular post. There will be many other opportunities to throw myself under the bus.
As for the man I am, some folks have referred to me as a redneck hippie. Others have called me a snowflake or weak ass democrat. I have to address that by saying I am a “gun toten redneck hippie”. So that means I like guns, sometimes wear cowboy boots and camo, hug trees when I can and want to preserve our beautiful world for all the next generations. Definitely not a fucking snowflake!
So, if you happen upon my website, you may be in for a treat! With my crazy ass thoughts and writings, I’m sure you’ll find something to comment on. Sometimes I may even throw in a video or two on particular subjects. This site is me in the raw. If you are a hard core right or left winger, get the fuck out of here. I have no use for you. Don’t listen to the lies that all our politicians are spewing out of their corporate lined dick sucking mouths…
Anyway, most of this blog is about things I am passionate about. Outdoors, kayaking, overlanding, gardening, beer, bikes, jeeps, leatherwork, and whatever other kick I get on. I’m a proud father of three and grandfather of eight now and counting. So, be ready for some crazy shit being posted along with good ideas or bad and future plans. If you ever want me to rant on something, just leave a comment and I’m sure I will have something to say about it. Enjoy Life and Just Have Fun!
Oh, and by the way, try not to take me too seriously okay? I love getting under people’s skin with controversial topics and answers that’ll usually piss off a person here and there. That’s life and this is Lifeology 101.