Hippies got a bad rap in the '60s and '70s for being pot-smoking do-nothings, but at the root of the hippie lifestyle is love and compassion for others and the environment. As a self-proclaimed hippie, I believe the change people want to see in this country will come from a resurgence of hippies.
Here are some ways we can benefit from the return of the hippie culture - and this is just the tip of the iceberg.
Hippies value love over anything else.
man hugging other man's backPhoto by Dimitar Belchev on UnsplashHippies coined the phrase, "make love, not war," during the Vietnam War protests, and its impact spanned across the nation. In today's age, there is a desperate need to cultivate and nourish love. We may not be in a physical war with another country, but we are at war with discrimination and out-of-date ideals within the United States.
Hippies know what really matters is how we treat each other will leave a lasting impression for generations to come. From a young age, kids are taught, "Leave the space better than you found it." Most of the time, parents used this lesson to encourage kids to clean up after themselves, but hippies strive to embrace that thought in everyday life. By making love the spearhead of goals, growth and acceptance is encouraged, and by bringing back hippie culture, more people will come to accept more love Into their lives and give it away more freely.
Hippies care less about material items.
silhouette photography of four personPhoto by Edu Lauton on UnsplashHippies care more about experiences than material Items. Often times, a hippie will choose a trip over a new phone or a pair of shoes. By focusing money in experiences, hippies have the chance to explore outside of their comfort zones and meet different souls they would not have had the chance to meet if they gave their paycheck to the nearest Apple store. Also, by buying less items and investing in adventures, hippies are removing themselves from corporations' factories, which promotes care for the Earth.
Hippies are environmentally conscious.
plants on vehicles trunkPhoto by Raphael Gritschke on UnsplashFrom their clothes to the food they eat, hippies usually care more about where their products come from and if their products are sustainable. With the fear of global warming, there has been a huge push for environmental consciousness. A hippie's love for the Earth stems from the understanding that everything on this planet coexists with each other, and the idea that we owe it to others to make this planet the best it can be. The Earth never fully belonged to humans, but it is in the hands of humans to take responsibility for it.
Hippie culture promotes change.
woman raising his handPhoto by AJ Colores on UnsplashHippie culture means being open to different experiences, so when the nation is calling out for a change, hippies are there for fight for new ideas. Whenever change calls, hippies come. Hippie culture as we know it today stemmed from Woodstock, which was ultimately a huge protest to the Vietnam War. Even though there were hundreds of thousands of people at Woodstock standing shoulder to shoulder, there were no serious conflicts. People were simply living in the moment protesting for change. For real change to occur, more love needs to be seen, and I think if more people adopted hippie culture, more things would end up getting changed; people would be more In agreence of love and coexistence.
