hey to all the "old" hippies out there

i just wanted to know is not caring what people think and just doing what you want to do a big part of being a hippie? And if so, then anyone who goes against the grain is a hippie right?

 

Hmmm... good question. A hippie just is... I think... and the definition of what a hippie is will vary from person to person. I'd be surprised if many who would be generally recognized as hippies would identify themselves as such.

What if being a hippie was in and you went against the grain there...?

I think they called them punks back in the day...

 

hippie is dead it is what is in your heart that counts

 

ok because the only reason i asked is because i have been on the forums for about three months now and i love the people that i have met on here and i want to be part of the "hippie" family but i also dont want to be labeled as a poser or anything like that. i mean i am just a simple, loving, giving, passionate person with a complicated mind and i have found out that hippies understand me. ya know?

 

Don't worry about labels and be who you are. If someone is unwilling to accept that without any pretense or conformity it's their loss and certainly not yours.

 

i can dig that stinkfoot!

 

Be who you are - yet be aware that your self image could be molded by society's subtle believe systems, thought patterns and role models.

The deeper you are involved, the harder it may appear to find out who you really are - to look from your own mind, heart, and spirit in first-hand experiences - and get to know who you really want to be; even recognize the friction that comes with choosing a path may be of your own making. Yet it is not impossible. It is the blueprint from where you start.

And as you go and lift the surface to fathom life, the need to live a certain style becomes less significant.

The parole that struck me most back then was 'Do It' ... to Do it (for me) is not about fighting, struggling, battling an enemy; it is about tapping into the purity of one's own path, which may or may not go against the grain. Often it does ... one of its road signs is independance.

Can we move beyond a society where even the hermit in the woods, to a certain extent, is part of ? Yet setting out to wake inside the dream, one creates ripples that reach further. Maybe society will shed its old crusts all along.

Your greatest tool is you, as all change starts inside - within your reach.

... yeah just more things to dig for you !

 

That was beautiful man. Thank you so much.

 

trevsdad,

i like to use wiki as a place to start...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hippie

if you're a hippie in your heart, then your definition of yourself is what controls. other peoples' ideas are just that...

the central idea of 'individual rights' tosses out posers...you will know them by their actions.

 

Thank you so much. Let me see if i understand:

so what is your heart is what matters. ok. and dont try to define yourself because that is what controls you, as other peoples ideas of you do.

ok one question. why does the central idea of 'individual rights' toss out posers?

 

Not sure where reb is going with that. Individual rights is what hippies were all about. Want to get stoned - go for it. Want to have sex - go for it as long as no one else is hassled. Go naked - who cares. It's your body. Other people try to lay their hangups on you - they are not hippies.
Call yourself what you will. As far as labels go - hippies is about as good as it gets. Love peace, love others, don't judge and be true to yourself. There is plenty of room in this world for you to do what is right for you and others to do what is right with them - as long as no one is being harmed by your behavior. Peace and Love -

 

thanx Ddoright i can dig that.

 

Ddoright is reading my mind (uh0000! )

if a person is REALLY a hippie, my perspective is they believe in 'do your own thing'. 'if you are not harming someone else, then you have the right to do as you please', iow.

the trend in society seems now to be 'mind your neighbor's business'. that aint hip in my book.

i have also seen it put thusly, 'the pursuit of happiness'...freedom is hip.

 

Hippies have always existed.They are people who know their own values, who care about the world they live in and their neighbors. They are people who are moved by the quality of their connections to other people and the Earth. They don't have a lot of material needs. They do have a lot of fun needs. Their minds are hungry and their souls are adventurious. They have lived in all times and all colors. They would be the people you are attracted to if you have been wounded by the world. They will be laughing and playing music. They will hold beautiful little kids close. They will nuture you when you need it. They will value your soul more than your bank account.

They are good people and the word hippie just happens to be a name recently attached but of no real significance. Or so I think, opinions may vary.

 

Yes, I agree with that. But it may not be obvious that you could be harming someone else.

For instance, would you say that you have the right to drive as fast as you want? Let's say you're alone and the highway is completely deserted, so there's no chance of hitting anyone else. Do you have a right to do that?

What about taking drugs to the point of needing rehab? Do you have a right to do that? Is that a case of not causing any harm to anyone else?

What if my neighbor is beating his dog? Should I "mind his business" for him? Or should I be quiet and let him "exercise his personal freedom"?

What if I discover that my neighbor cheated on his taxes? Should I snitch? Is anyone being harmed by him?

 

“Not caring what people think …”, without some qualification, is taking it over the line. For example, mocking another’s religious or moral beliefs might certainly be considered “not caring …” or “doing what you want …” and may be even within one’s rights. However, I fail to understand how that sort of thing is showing one’s consideration, tolerance, or caring for others – all professed by most claiming or wanting to be “hippies”. Doing one’s “own thing” includes letting others do theirs, too – and without judgment or ridicule.

 

Good points, all.

You gotta pick your battles. But you already knew that.

 

I don't believe Hippies just decided to be "Hippies". I personally was always dancing to my own music. I liked having fun and hanging out with friends. when the movement came along in the 60-70's, a lot of people were already involved doing what they had been doing all along. The title came along and many of us fell into the description, not by calling ourselves hippies, but by our beliefs, our activities and lifestyle. You are born with a cause or you aren't. You live your life with causes, caring and once again dancing to your own drummer. Not all "hippies" dropped out, many of us were making a difference going to college getting a degree to better make choices and changes. Someone had to pay the rent and bring home the bacon.

 

Rainbows or woodstock?

 

You're so right. I think learning to pick your battles is one of the most important aspects of maturing.

That's right. And someone had to teach the children. I was called on the carpet more than once in my teaching career for spreading "hippie philosophy". And so I compromised, which is what life is all about if you want to get along.

But it didn't stop me from voting. It didn't stop me from marching. It didn't stop me from showing my fifth graders that there are alternatives to the credo of "if it moves shoot it, if it doesn't move tear it up with your ATV", which was and is prevalent where I live.

We still need the young hippie firebrands. We need them to challenge things and dream the new ideas. But I also hope that the firebrands don't forget why one of these forums is titled "hippie wisdom".