vanhalenkurtz wrote:
I have extensive experience with hippies. I have lived at Twin Oaks intentional community 5 years. While there are certainly many fine distinctions between individuals, as a general rule, I have found hippies to be characterized by pacifism, left-wing ideology and an earnest attempt to be sensitive and tolerant. However, these fine qualities are accompanied by a judgmental, inflated sense of their values' worth. They can be snobs and hypocrites, which is made especially salient by their theatric, often faltering, projections of acceptance and celebrating diversity. A lot of of "politically correct" vernacular I find repressive. Supposedly "the hippies were right." I do not consider drug use, which has become rampant in US culture since the groovy Beatles, to be a credible tenet. Further left, we have polyamory which, in my observations, is quite destructive of intimacy and, certainly, raising families. All in all, I appreciate the nonviolence but do not readily accept the irresponsibility which I consider core to the hippie experience.
On a personal note, the hippies here treat me like a freak. And, yes, I generally work more than most, which makes that somewhat galling.
I hear you. I grew up in one of the most hippie-ish towns in the US, went to private hippie schools/homeschooling groups for a while, and spent some time on a commune. It was very difficult, as a little girl with undiagnosed AS, to reconcile the love and tolerance the adults preached with how they, and their kids, treated me like a freak. This was before most people knew what AS was, and my behavior was seen as too boyish, impulsive, inconsiderate, etc. and just did not fit with the sly, passive-aggressive, advanced-level social skills practiced by the hippie women and girls. Silly me, though, I thought trying to be kind and caring like these women claimed to be, would help me fit in. Nope, genuine kindness mixed with aspie awkwardness just turns people off...