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Hippies lived for the moment and enjoyed just hanging out (as many young people do today.) They also wanted to live a simpler existence, more in harmony with the environment and other people.
Hippies liked to live on the edge and take some risks. We were willing to speak out against the problems we saw around us. We also valued the freedom to think for ourselves. Hippies were similar to the beats in terms of how they lived. Hippies had a natural restlessness and desire to keep moving, a sense of wanderlust, if you will. People yearned to be free from constraints of the mundaneplaces where they grew up. In the desire for new experiences, many began traveling to other parts of the world, such as Europe and Asia. Many young people hit US highways in the sixties, often by hitch-hiking. We were willing to take risks and seek new adventures, unlike today, when people feel the need to hide in their homes. In many ways, the media and the politicians have created this fear that discourages dissent and promotes conformity. Hippies also wanted to get back to land. We were outraged at the damage caused by industry. Hippies helped create and foster the growing environmental movement, respecting the wonders of nature and trying to “get ourselves back to the garden” (Joni Mitchell). Hippies also wanted to set an example for others about how to reduce society’s impact on the environment. We were among the first to believe in and practice voluntary simplicity. As far as sex goes, hippies believed that each person should have a right to decide for themselves. Hippies promoted “Free Love” and were known to use nudity for shock valueor just plain fun. Many hippies also saw relationships as sacred, practicing serial monogamy. Our approach to many concepts was that if it feels good, do it -- as long as your partner(s) agree. However, hippies would probably condemn the type of rampant pornography and the portrayals of women on the Internet and media that have become so common. Hippies distinguish between various ways to alter perceptions, preferring to drop acid and smoke weed because these foster spirituality, heightened sensitivity and connections to our brothers. Most true hippies shunned the heavier stuff, believing that speed and other stimulants killed. In fact, widespread availability of cocaine during the seventies reflected a very different approach to recreational drug use. Hippies also generally agreed that legal drugs like alcohol and tobacco posed much more danger to individuals and society than softer varieties, like marijuana and the psychedelics.
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