Adlerian Life-Style
Evolving from and oriented towards the final goal is an individual’s life-style. Life-style is determined by specific inferiorities, perceived or actual, and comprises the implementation of compensatory schemes. Adler’s final goal to overcome death propelled him towards becoming a doctor and then, perhaps, towards leaving behind some interesting ideas to be used and developed by others. More generally, life-style is the arrangement of domestic, occupational, social and recreational activities unique to a person. It could be described as the hallmark of an individual, giving consistency to the personality. Using other terminology, it is the enactment of the script or drama by which a person’s life unfolds.
Adler believed optimal life-style to confront successfully the three life tasks of work, friendship and love: pursuing a socially useful profession or occupation, developing rewarding human friendships, and fulfilling one’s role in love and marriage and family life.
