Final answer:
The lifestyle one should opt for should be aligned with personal health and environmental sustainability, embracing necessities such as a healthy diet and exercise, while also considering the societal impact of individual choices. Aging also plays a role in lifestyle adjustments, and philosophical reflections on 'a good life' continue to guide these choices.
Step-by-step explanation:
Choosing a Lifestyle Conducive to Health and Sustainability
The question of what sort of lifestyle one should opt for is deeply rooted in personal health and societal choices. A lifestyle that is consistent with the biological health needs of the human species includes essentials such as clean air and water, a healthy diet, plenty of physical exercise, and the experience of conviviality. In order to ensure the well-being of individuals and the planet, one should adopt values that place short-term personal and human needs within the context of ecosystems and long-term human happiness.
Making choices that affect one's lifestyle is an exercise in balancing personal desires, like better grades or more leisure time, with societal needs, such as a cleaner environment or economic growth. These choices, while often appearing in conflict, can lead to a fuller understanding of how personal habits impact broader societal issues. For instance, the move towards a more sustainable lifestyle may necessitate sacrifices, such as selecting a diet based on nutrition and health rather than taste alone, thus aligning with nature's capacity to replenish.
As we age, lifestyle choices can also intersect with different theories of aging, such as activity, continuity, or disengagement theories. Each theory has its pros and cons, and real-life examples can illustrate both the positive and negative aspects of these theories. It's also important to note that life-style changes can be a mix of choice and circumstance, with changes in diet often necessary due to aging and health conditions like Type 2 Diabetes.
Ultimately, the question of 'What is a good life?' remains a significant philosophical inquiry, one that has been pondered across generations, with contemporary people still seeking guidance from past attempts at answering this profound question.