What makes a person a Hippie?

I am a child of the 60’s but came of age in the 70’s. Although I often say I was a hippie, I was just a few years behind of being the total REAL DEAL. Here’s my list. I’m sure the “real deal will add to it.

A “question authority” attitude
Actively looking “outside of the box”
A fashion sense that says, “Natural.”
A respect for nature
A love of experimentation

damn hippies…

Having poor hygiene.

Saying things without actually doing things.*

Casual drug use.

*Only applies to today’s hippies.

@boots

I don’t think that second one is fairly accurate. It may be a common stereo type but it’s not predominantly the norm. I know a good amount of people whom classify themselves as hippies who are plenty motivated to accomplish the goals they set for themselves.

@ABoyNamedBoobs03 And I know plenty that don’t.

A constant aroma of patchouli about one’s person.

I’ve actually been thinking about this recently, and it’s turned out to be pretty hard to pin down. I guess there are just different types of hippies (the jam band hippies, the ska hippies, the older generation hippies, the trippy hippies, etc., etc.). Apparently, I come home from college and become a hippie (vaguely ironic, seeing as people usually go to college and become hippies). I say that because I’ve been going to see jam bands play (moe., Phish, a Grateful Dead cover band called the Schwag), wearing tie dye and long, flowing skirts and such, smoking a lot of weed, spending more time outside, hanging around with dudes with dreads, etc., and, above all, enjoying it. I think the most telling feature is the attitude and general appearance.

And HEY – I do not have poor hygiene.

@TitsMcGhee phish is actually pretty solid live, I liked them. speaking of covers though, Ever hear of Lez Zepplin? lol lesbian Led cover band, they’re actually pretty good too.

Long hair, Birkenstocks, hemp clothing, can be found hugging trees.

Peace!

Pretending that nothing irritates you and you don’t get jealous when someone. comes on to your girlfriend/boyfriend

Being a hippie is a state of mind. An attitude. All the other crap attributed to them is nonsense. Most of today’s “hippies’ are merely wannabees.

LuvBubble, your description sounds pretty accurate to me. The hippie movement was started by a generation that felt that they had been lied to by their parents, government, teachers, etc. They threw everything out and started over with no preconceptions, hence the questioning of authority and thinking outside the box. The commune concept was just them trying to see if some other form of society would work better than government. The natural look was a part of rejecting the idea that life should be spent amassing material possessions. Free love was actually an idea to replace the institution of marriage, which they rejected as not working very well. It didn’t start out to be sex orgy, just that couples didn’t see why a piece of paper from government or religion should mean anything. The drug aspect was just because parents and government said “no,” which meant they needed to find out what was being taken from them and why.

tie-dye.

Living in the 1960s and early 70s. There are no hippies left.

psychedelics, lots of love, and the urge to make changes.
but especially the psychedelics… kidding!

@Marina Yes, there are. We still have many, if not most, of the utopian, idealistic, romantic ideas we ever had. We have simply learned to blend in a little better.

@Marina Hippies is not an era, it is a state of mind….an attitude, if you will.

Here’s a flower headband to all the hippies, real and wanna be, still out there walkin’ the walk and smokin’ the pot. This one’s for you.

I am a surviving hippie of the 60s and 70s. I have smoked pot for 43 of my 56 years. My hair is to my ass. I burn patchouli incense daily and proudly. Rock music is a staple and if you see me, you hear it. I’ve demonstrated in every possible manner. I question authority under my breath, if need be. I share what I have. I meditate. I love freely. I am a hippie and proud of it!

I still see lots of 50–60 year old hippies out there.

Someone just sent me a facebook quiz “What kind of hippie are you?” I guess there are a lot of different kinds and I am a freak. (according to the quiz anyway.) I’m not sure if I like that.

It was all about the love (“All you need is love,” “Come on people now, everybody get together try to love one another right now” “Get on a board, the love train, love train!”) It was all about peace, and protesting when they felt something was wrong (Vietnam.) It was all about rebelling against The Man, authority, and the materialism that their parents sought. It was all about turning on, tuning out, and dropping out man. It was all about trying to look deep inside yourself for inspiration and understanding and becoming one with the universe. (drugs seemed to help.)
Make Love, Not War
Um. O shit. Can you tell that I was there!
My camper that I finished this summer:
http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc207/Dutchcat1/P7280081.jpg
Have this guy to put on it next
http://i681.photobucket.com/albums/vv178/TheFrogPrince/keep_on_truckin.jpg

It’s not what you do, it’s what/how you think. It’s not just a title, it’s a way of life. It’s a dedication that one must take very seriously, and despite the beliefs of the common folk, we’re not all smelly potheads that sit around campfires at night, stoned, singing Kumbaya. It’s more than that, something that no one who isn’t “one” would fully understand.