Lifestyle gurus (also called lifestyle coaches, lifestyle trainers, lifestyle consultants) trained people to understand how they can make themselves
happier through changes in their
lifestyle
Lifestyle often refers to:
* Lifestyle (sociology), the way a person lives
* ''Otium'', ancient Roman concept of a lifestyle
* Style of life (german: Lebensstil, link=no), dealing with the dynamics of personality
Lifestyle may also refer to:
Bu ...
. Lifestyle gurus are a profession popularised by several
celebrities
Celebrity is a condition of fame and broad public recognition of a person or group as a result of the attention given to them by mass media. An individual may attain a celebrity status from having great wealth, their participation in sports ...
, including
Cherie Blair
Cherie, Lady Blair, (; born 23 September 1954), also known professionally as Cherie Booth, is an English barrister and writer. She is married to the former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Sir Tony Blair.
Early life and education
Boot ...
and
Madonna
Madonna Louise Ciccone (; ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Widely dubbed the " Queen of Pop", Madonna has been noted for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting, a ...
in the 1990s and 2000s.
Prominent examples of lifestyle gurus include
Carole Caplin
Carole Caplin (born 8 January 1962) was the style adviser to Cherie Blair and a fitness adviser to Tony Blair, when he was the British prime minister. She was controversial because of her relationship with the convicted conman Peter Foster.
Ear ...
, who worked as a lifestyle guru for the Blair family.
Criticism
Lifestyle gurus have come under heavy criticism in recent years, with most criticisms concerning their utility.
Other criticisms have centred on the perception that they are a symptom of the indecisiveness of today's society.
Frank Furedi
Frank Furedi ( hu, Füredi Ferenc; born 3 May 1947) is a Hungarian-Canadian academic and emeritus professor of sociology at the University of Kent. He is well known for his work on sociology of fear, education, therapy culture, paranoid parent ...
, a professor of sociology at the University of Kent, has been a prominent critic of lifestyle gurus. Lifestyle gurus have received criticism for preaching unscientific ideas and thus influencing
public opinion
Public opinion is the collective opinion on a specific topic or voting intention relevant to a society. It is the people's views on matters affecting them.
Etymology
The term "public opinion" was derived from the French ', which was first use ...
.
A 2017 article in ''
Vox'' accused personal-growth gurus of being "all smoke and mirrors", "a hypocrite's game", and "bullshit artistry" aimed at making money from selling a product, such as books or conferences.
See also
*
Life coaching
Coaching is a form of development in which an experienced person, called a ''coach'', supports a learner or client in achieving a specific personal or professional goal by providing training and guidance. The learner is sometimes called a ''coa ...
*
Motivational speaker
A motivational speaker is a speaker who makes speeches intended to motivate or inspire an audience. Such speakers may attempt to challenge or transform their audiences. The speech itself is popularly known as a pep talk.
Motivational speakers c ...
*
Peer support specialist A peer support specialist is a person with "lived experience" who has been trained to support those who struggle with mental health, psychological trauma, or substance use. Their personal experience of these challenges provide peer support specialis ...
References
Life coaching
Lifestyle
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