The Amish and Mennonites are interesting cultures. I was intrigued in the article (linked by chase) that pipes and cigars have a slightly different status than cigarettes, and there is a sort of unspoken dispensation for older people, mostly men, who smoke pipes and cigars. Apparently both communities have evolved to reap strong prosperity by denying certain modern technologies, and maintaining a much stronger focus on family, community, and an agrarian economy. I don't know how to compare these cultures with the challenge of maintaining values and a life-affirming philosophy on an individual basis outside a separated and restrictive community, but I think that's what most people do. Living in the wider community can be more or less of a challenge, depending on the person, their family, and how they relate to the community and wider world. But these agrarian cultures serve as a touchstone for evaluating how the rest of us are doing.
