Hippie Philosophy

I would be the last person to say there should be a big batch of dogma to call the official hippie phillosophy, that one must subscribe to for one to call one's self a hippie.
But then again, there do seem to be some philosophical beliefs that pretty much all who do call themselves hippies believe in....like not being violent and distructive, possibly.

But I thought it might be an interesting topic to explore the question of what the essential beliefs of hippies look like in your own words. I mean, beyond just the obvious--love, peace, freedom, and funkyality. Not necessarily religious or moral but just what being a hippie means to you in relation to what life is all about and how you choose to live it.

 

Form your own oppinions, be brave, stand up for what you believe... Don't always follow the crowd..?

 

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Edited: was reply to a deleted post

 

Other.

The main goal seemed to be making the world a better place for *everyone*. That was the driving force behind everything... not personal agenda.

There was a certain - entirely necesary - seperation from the bulk of society... we really do have to entirely seperate from our current way of being, even more so now than then!

 

I think hippiedom became from the feel of right and wrong. Some people are confused from the modern capitalistic society and forget the main princibles of life. I mean how can a human sit and watch when humans friends are being killed meaninglesly. Animals don't do that. How ever people like us see things diffrently and do not act the "right way" that modern society shows.

That's my opinion

 

This is a very good point. Most cultures and traditions can be traced back to these core values despite how corrupt they appear to have become in the modern world. The hippies in the '60s used "going back to nature" as a way to return to these values.

 

I deffinetely believe in a live and let live philosophy, and see how war is meaning-less. Not being a materialist is a big part of it, anyone who wants to gain money to buy more things is wrong in my opinion even though it is hard not to do. Having an Anti-Establishment mentality is something that goes along with that thought, corporations and even some small bussinesses have so much money that they wouldnt miss $100 if you stole it tommorrow. Since money is nearly impossible to live without the people who have that kind of excessive money should help out the rest of the world. Even thinking like that seems wrong to me on some levels becouse its taking handouts from what were trying not to be. Being a hippy to me would be everyone is equal and their is no money.

All I can say is try to live your own way and follow your own path.

I'm 18 I don't really know where to go from here. How can I ever move out unless I get a high paying job? How can I follow what I believe and take money from a restraunt or some other bussiness I could work for. I dont want to be a hypocrite.

 

Personally, I don't see any real conflict with being anti-establishment and still having a job or surviving any way you can in "the system". I mean, short of being a billionair hoard-hog who's part of the plutocracy club, I don't see anything wrong or hypocritical about doing what you gotta do to live as long as you keep your ideals alive and keep doing what you can to change things.

If you can find a way to live independently of capitalism, that's great, but for most of us there really aren't a lot of alternatives. Of course it can be a challenge to play "the game" without becoming part of the oppression in some way, since that's part of what's wrong with the whole thing, but it can be done.

 

There's nothing wrong with doing what you gotta do to get by. Doesn't make you a hypocrite at all. And you dont need a high paying job to be able to move out....dont worry and have faith...it will all work out in the end - trust me! I've been there before (a few times). So long as you know who you are, and dont lose sight of yourself, nothing you do will be hypocritical and wrong.

 

live and let die, that's how i see things...

 

you mean live and let live?

 

I think he means what he said. I guess this ever changing world in which we live in made him give in and cry. All teasing aside though, I understand the point of view. I take it myself when I have to. Some times you have to see things that way to stay sane. Kinda like the song says^.

 

Has anyone read the book; 1984? In that book the theory was put forth that if the ruling government removed words from the language such as revolution then people could not talk about revolution and perhaps not even be able to think about it. I believe that is one of the things that the “Hippies” ran in to. They were able to perceive that the world should be different better place but had no words to express how it should be different. So they came up with sayings like free love, back to nature and give peace a chance and most people thought that meant free sex, do more hiking and stop the war in Vietnam all of which are alright but not what they meant. Free love was a call to throw off the shackles of hate and feel free to show love (not sex) to everyone. Back to nature was not a call to go back to living in the woods but to go back to a life filled with the joy and wonder nature can show us, just check out a sunset. Give peace a chance certainly covered Vietnam but really was talking about giving peace a chance in all your dealings with people….. I’ll get off my soapbox now, just the ramblings of an old hippie still living the dream….

 

I don't know...works for some people...sounds pretty cynical to me.

 

Cynicism is an element that isn't bad in it's self if it's balanced with love and peace. Maybe if the hippies had been a little more cynical in some ways they would continue to be influential. aah :sweatdrop don't ask me to explain that one...it's a whole other thing.

 

Love that rambling! Hop on that soapbox any time!

 

There is no single hippie philosophy, it's a combination of many philosophies, viewpoints and values, and nobody can be reasonably expected to be true to all of them. They say there's at least a little hippie in all of us, and I'd like to add that there's a lot of hippie in some of us, but no one is 100% hippie.

 

i'd sure like to think so.

 

My inner Hippy is trying to mellow that vibe