What is this "lifestyle" you mention?

[NeonKaos]

Originally Posted by AutumnalTone

And it will still make no sense. It sounds no different than showing up and asking us about our garblyfunch.

What in hell is a garblyfunch? I don't know, yet I suspect it's involved in this Sooper Sekret Poly Lifestyle people keep asking us about!

Swinging does fit the description of a "lifestyle", according to the Outlaw Biker/Elks Club analogy.

[nycindie]

Originally Posted by swingers

so, i put forth: please don't bite their head off when they use the word. just know that it is the only context we can understand at the time being and that we are trying to BLEND into a new community.

Challenging the use of a word is not biting someone's head off. No one's getting bent out of shape just by pointing something out, discussing it, and defending a viewpoint.

[nycindie]

Originally Posted by NeonKaos

Swinging does fit the description of a "lifestyle", according to the Outlaw Biker/Elks Club analogy.

But isn't it true that people of various lifestyles can swing? Even though there is a set of practices widely accepted and used by swingers, what makes a sexual activity a lifestyle in and of itself?

[NeonKaos]

Originally Posted by nycindie

But isn't it true that people of various lifestyles can swing? Even though there is a set of practices widely accepted and used by swingers, what makes a sexual activity a lifestyle in and of itself?

Yes, that's true too. You can certainly have swinging Outlaw Bikers. Just because something is true doesn't necessarily make it mutually exclusive with respect to all else.

If you go back and re-read Autumnal Tone's Biker/Elks analogy, the answer to that should be apparent. It isn't the "sexual activity" that makes it a "Lifestyle". It's going to parties and clubs and subscribing to a particular and specific set of activities and behaviours SURROUNDING the sexual activities that all who do the "Lifestyle" have in common.

To take the analogy one step further - sexual activity is to swinger as motorcycle riding is to outlaw-biker.

Sexual activity and motorcycle riding are not "Lifestyles", but swinging and outlaw-biking are.

If this doesn't help make it clearer, I give up. I can only re-phrase things so many ways before i decide that the other person just is not going to get it no matter how many times one tries to explain it. The posts are all here to read and re-read. I would say the same thing again if needed, so instead just read this one until it goes in.

[Ariakas]

Its not a lifestyle for me.. it can be for others.. *shrugs*

I just don't enjoy when people say what I do is a certain way vs what I am doing.

[swingers]

check out: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lifestyle_(sociology)

below is from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alternative_lifestyle :

+The following are examples which may be considered by some to be alternate lifestyles:
-Nudism and clothing optional lifestyles.
-Living in unusual communities, such as communes, intentional communities or ecovillages.
-Lifestyle travellers, homebirths, homeschooling, home gardening, housetruckers, New Age travellers, vegetarianism, meditation, hypnosis, reincarnation and feng shui.
-Non-typical sexual lifestyle, such as BDSM, swinging, polyamory and certain types of sexual fetishism or paraphilia.
-Furry lifestylers.
-Alternative spiritual practices.
-Alternative medicine and natural methods of medical care or herbal remedies as medication.
-Eastern religion as sought and practiced by some western converts into faithes based in East Asia and South Asia, like Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism, Shintoism and so on, as opposed to Monotheism or Judeo-Christian belief systems.
-"Non-mainstream" religious minorities, such as the Amish for example pursue a non-technological or anti-technology lifestyle.

[NeonKaos]

I guess if Wiki says it, we'd better take notice. Because as we all know, Wikipedia is published by experts in their field of study, and is subject to extensive vetting and peer review before they are allowed to put anything up on the interwebz.

[swingers]

Were you making fun of me??? or is that how you actually feel? i couldnt tell. its ok either way.

[NeonKaos]

Originally Posted by swingers

Were you making fun of me??? or is that how you actually feel? i couldnt tell. its ok either way.

I was making fun of Wikipedia, and yes, that is how I actually feel.

[swingers]

lol, ok. thanks