The Term Hippie

Freedom For Free

She was a medical student; had a 4.0 GPA, and was considered by many to be a genius. However, academic pursuits were not enough to maintain happiness. As soon as she had graduated she became what society would call a hippie. Leaving school and all material possessions behind, she moved into the north Georgia Mountains to live in a small house with her boyfriend. I met this person over the summer, her name is Sarah. My dad introduced me to her, telling me that I would be interested to hear about her life.

I walked into her front door to be greeted by walls covered with artwork and floors littered with painting tools. I was greeted by Sarah with a hair full of flowers and a body covered in bohemian-style clothing. Her clothes showed the simplicity of her life, however, allowed her raw beauty to be shown. She spoke with sincerity and kindness, almost as a loving mother speaks to her children. Charisma came with word spoken and every gesture displayed. Sarah spoke as if a great orator, with power behind every word. I listened to hours of her adventures from following The Grateful Dead across the country to her meeting Terrence McKenna, a well known and influential philosopher and writer of the sixties. Many people would most likely call Sarah a hippie.

What is a hippie? Webster's defines a hippie as a person who opposes and rejects many of the conventional standards and customs of society, especially one who advocates extreme liberalism in sociopolitical attitudes and lifestyles. In a social context the term hippie often carries a negative connotation as someone who uses drugs and is rejected by society. The 1960's and 1970's were considered the prime years of the hippie movement, and the term hippie is often related to this era. These definitions are incorrect because hippie is a term used to categorize a large group of people who hold a basic framework of beliefs based upon the principles of respect and tolerance and not just on drug use or counterculture.

Webster's definition of a hippie holds somewhat true since a hippie does fall out of the standard expectation of American lifestyle. But many do not understand that the term hippie is not exclusive to a single era in our world's history. Many religious leaders would have been considered hippies if born in contemporary America. Jesus Christ encouraged respect and love. It is not a radical statement, therefore, to imply that Jesus might have been considered a hippie. Siddhartha Gautama, the founder of Buddhism, shared many views similar to those of Jesus Christ and more modern hippies. Hippies often find that an aesthetic lifestyle holds the most potential to spread love and understanding. Similarly, both Siddhartha