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ORIGINAL: KnightofMists
To often I see on the boards and in daily life individuals that make comparisons of themselves to others with the desire to elevate themselves at the expense of another. 

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It is not so important to me if you think of yourself as a "lifestyler" and what you think of this person or that person with regards to if they are a lifestyler.  I am finding that the Character of the people to be much important than they be a lifestyler.  I find understanding and appreciating the character of a person to have much greater value than comparing their lifestyle to mine.   I have found that regardless of a person's lifestyle choices... If I admire their character.. their lifestyle is of no consequence.  In fact, If I respect the character of a person.... I am more likely to learn and appreciate their lifestyle.  I suspect that many are similiar to me in this way.  Many desire to have this "lifestyle" of D/s and BDSM to be reflected more positively in our society.  Well... I say... be a person of admirable character and this will best serve the lifestyle.

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ORIGINAL: RavenMuse

And I really coudn't give a monkeys how your insecuritys make you read it as. if you have a problem it is your problem. Put your insecuritys back in your knicker drawer where they belong. If you are 'threatened' by people who don't just do this at weekends, isn't anyones concern but you... Pointing out that some do and some don't simply defines which 'grouping' is being discussed, 'better' is totaly contextual.... for someone who 'just does it at weekends' then someone else who similarly 'just does it at weekends' is better... for them. Likewise a lifestyler is better for Me.... thats 'in context' but not a generic one is 'better' than the other.

Strange how people like you are the only ones pushing that angle and trying to make out like lifestylers take this attitude when the only time such is raised is by someone insecure about what they have. But then there is oft an ellement of pot calling the kettle black... when some try to paint lifestylers that way so they can believe THEY are better because THEY are not 'elitist'..... even though the only elitist bullshit is in their own minds.

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ORIGINAL: LadyPact

I went back and read the rest of the responses to this thread because I was interested to see how many actually equate the term 'lifestyle' as meaning living life.  Suddenly, a random thought came to My head:

Group:  "We're the non-conformists"
Stan:  "I want to join your group.  What do I have to do?"
Group:  "If you want to be a non-conformist, all you have to do is dress like us, listen to our music, and do the things we do."

(Yeah, shoot Me.  I'm a South Park fan.)

I don't mean any offense to those who have seen the thread as an opportunity to express themselves and their feelings toward the term.  I'm quite sure that there are those who can relate a negative experience with many words, the term 'lifestyle' among them.  The same goes with other words that are seen now and again here.  Leather, community, Gorean, and Old Guard being examples of a few.  Bring any of those up, and there will be those who flock to the feeding frenzy of picking people apart who chose to identify with those words.

Why this is, I can not say.  It is no better or worse than the implied elitist attitude that was brought up in the original post.  Saying that one feels better because they identify as a lifestyler is no different than one saying they are better than the lifestylers because they chose not to be.  Those who look down on the term because they feel they have risen above it.

What has seemed to lose emphasis in this thread is that many here have just adopted the term as an expression of how they live.  That's the positive of it that has been overlooked. 

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ORIGINAL: MadRabbit
"Once you label me, you negate me." -paraphrasing Kierkegaard