Spirit of the Hippies

[Stawberrry Fields]

I really liek the comment made on the regional forum by Valdram, and would like to start up a topic about it here.

"Speaking of hippies and acid trips, I'd like to note that while drugs were a big part of hippie culture, they weren't necessarily the end-all-and-be-all. Despite its style and drug-related sides, the hippie movement was a social one...it's about the spirit of love and creativity and understanding and *music*, not about what clothes you wear or what drugs you do. That's one thing that's kinda bothered me about alot of people in my generation...they think that "hippie" is all about the clothes and the hallucinogens, but they don't feel the spirit and the soul that the movement really formed around. Although I'll admit that the hippie "fashion" pretty much dominates my wardrobe My life goal is to resurrect the hippie movement...I figure, we're in a quagmire war under a government that's slowly stripping away our civil liberties...I think we need more hippie spirit "


I totally agree with what Valdram's saying. Alot of people today really don't understand what it means to be a hippie and all they stand for.

What do you guys think?

[crescentmoonbear]

I agree too. The hippiest Hipppies I've known have not taken drugs and dress pretty conservative... And they don't associate themselves with the term at all. I don't consider myself a hippy, just a human being seeking freedom from the systems that seek to controll me. Labels just create stereotypes and that's where we get the whole issue with people believing hippies are one thing and can be easily categorised.
Most of the stereotypical pot smoking, dreadlocked, djembe playing hippies I've come accross care more about getting stoned and laid than they do about the state of the world and other human beings. There have been exceptions but not many. I'm only speaking from Australia and my own experience but it definitely seems to be that the modern hippy movement has much form and little sustance...

[Supergroovalistic]

Jul 10, 2008 1:15:06 GMT -5 crescentmoonbear said:

I agree too. The hippiest Hipppies I've known have not taken drugs and dress pretty conservative... And they don't associate themselves with the term at all. I don't consider myself a hippy, just a human being seeking freedom from the systems that seek to controll me. Labels just create stereotypes and that's where we get the whole issue with people believing hippies are one thing and can be easily categorised.
Most of the stereotypical pot smoking, dreadlocked, djembe playing hippies I've come accross care more about getting stoned and laid than they do about the state of the world and other human beings. There have been exceptions but not many. I'm only speaking from Australia and my own experience but it definitely seems to be that the modern hippy movement has much form and little sustance...

Why is it that you don't consider yourself to be a hippy? Is it because you don't identify with the mainstream opinion of what a hippy should be or because you disagree with the hippy ideology (if you can call it that... )

Even though I don't fit the stereotypical profile, I personally would describe myself as a hippy because it's probably the only movement with which I really identify.

[crescentmoonbear]

Because I consider myself a human being first and foremost and who I am is too vast, expansive and fluid to be summed up in one word. If you decide to associate with one thing, you are closing the door to all the other wonderful possibilities of who you can be and who you can associate with.
I don't think any person on this planet is one dimensional enough to be labled as one thing so for me it is really a matter of respect.
I truly doubt that in the sixties you had to "identify with the movement" to be a part of it. There was no ideology...only being and seing things in a new way. People dropped their judgement and emotional respones, saw love and intent and respected differences in choice and opinion and so a beautiful family was born. If you really want to be a part of that movement, you have to live it. Ask yourself... are you seeing and being in a new way?
Peace
~ from Bear

[Stawberrry Fields]

Hippy is an establishment label for a profound, invisible, underground, evolutionary process. For every visible hippy, barefoot, beflowered, beaded, there are a thousand invisible members of the turned-on underground. Persons whose lives are tuned in to their inner vision, who are dropping out of the TV comedy of American Life.
-Timothy Leary
(The Politics of Ecstasy)

[crescentmoonbear]

Jul 12, 2008 12:40:46 GMT -5 Stawberrry Fields said:

Hippy is an establishment label for a profound, invisible, underground, evolutionary process. For every visible hippy, barefoot, beflowered, beaded, there are a thousand invisible members of the turned-on underground. Persons whose lives are tuned in to their inner vision, who are dropping out of the TV comedy of American Life.
-Timothy Leary
(The Politics of Ecstasy)

Wow, how perfectly put. Wish I could have said it that well!

[vanexia]

it's funny how the british hippies tried to achieve the opposite from american hippies, when it came to clothing. because america was quite wealthy even during the war, the youth tried to distinct themselves by dressing down. In britain it was quite the opposite as the kids would give their last pennies for new clothes and accessories.

[tjaaay]

KILL EM ALL NAPALM

Oh hiiiiyaa evryone this burd is soooo cooll hahah ah ah a hah a ha ha hhaYA VIETNAMM!! FUCK YAH KILL EMA LLL

[Stawberrry Fields]

A bit of spazz you are yes?