ABSTRACT
Nothing is more obvious than that people differ from one another. Some are pious, others are irreverent. Some prefer one sexual partner, others prefer a variety. Some are committed to developing their skills and talents to the maximum extent possible, and others are content to allow their lives to pass with passive intoxication of alcohol, television or other sources of gratification. Some seek active involvement in the affairs of the community, others prefer to cultivate their own gardens. And some have very strong views about the way in which their society is to be organized, whilst others are prepared to let everyone go their own way. These differences define the style of life that people adopt. In many respects individuals will share their style oflife with other like-minded individuals. Churches and religious groupings are the most obvious example of such sharing. In such groups people will marry, rear children, conduct their economic life or hold opinions that are similar to others who also have the same lifestyle. When individual lifestyles exhibit such socially significant patterns, I shall say that the individuals involved share a distinctive form of life. Like individual lifestyles, forms of life will differ markedly from one another in any complex modern society.
