5 Signs You Are a Hippie
Identify if you’re a potential hippie by looking at three areas of your life: Political views, societal beliefs, and lifestyle. A hippie believes in freedom, peace, love, unity, and individualism. This ideology is, therefore, reflected in their relationships, careers, and styles.
If you have more than three of the following signs, you are a would-be hippie:
- You are a piece advocator. Hippies were against wars. They rallied against violent acts of the government, imposing a peaceful approach.
- You are an environmentalist. Being environment-friendly was one of the fundamental aspects of the hippie movement.
- You believe in communal living. You could make a good hippie if you believe in “sharing is earning” in your heart. They stood for collective, shared living, which promoted harmony and neighborliness.
- You are against capitalism. The Tree Huggers were a non-confirming group, a counterculture against the 1960s capitalistic flow. Your anti-capitalist views could, therefore, nominate you for an honorary hippie title.
- You value DIY styles. If you find the hippie movement’s tie-dye and self-made fashion appealing, maybe you are a Flower Child yourself.
Hippie Movement Defined by Its Mottos
To identify a hippie, you must know the ideology behind the movement. In the 1960s, a hippie was a person—typically a youngster—who believed in “Live and let live,” “Power to the people,” “Give peace a chance,” and “Make love, no war” mottos. These slogans summarized their core beliefs: peace, harmony, and freedom.
The Dark Side of Being a Hippie
One of the main reasons for the hippie movement’s disappearance was drug abuse. In the early stages, hippies used psychedelics as a means to reach higher spiritual realms. However, drugs were quick to lead to addiction problems among the young, pushing them off their original peace-oriented path.
The downside of the movement also included a rise in STDs, teen pregnancy, and sexual abuse rates among hippies. Although the movement itself did not endorse drug abuse or sexual carelessness, the circumstances of living in non-conforming, closed communal environments with minimal supervision contributed to these issues.
Hippie Vs. Hipster: Which One Are You?
A relatively recent counterculture in our era is the hipster movement. Though not as cohesive as the hippie movement, it still stands out through distinctive elements like fashion, music, and cultural perspectives.
In contrast to a hippie’s universal-love approach, a hipster takes an ironic stance toward the current state of life. The non-conforming attitude of a hipster serves as a mockery of society’s perceived “dumb” rules, yet it doesn’t hinder them from engaging in and enjoying mainstream content.
This Quiz Exposes Hippies
For those of you asking yourselves, “Am I a hippie?” this quiz offers 15 questions that expose how big of a Free Spirit you are. We’ve analyzed the 1960s most prominent counterculture, the Tree Huggers’ movement, to come up with a self-test.
By responding to the following questions, you get a detailed analysis of your cultural views and determine if you would make a good hippie—or maybe even a hipster.
