It’s hard to imagine, but what would the world be like without hippies? Sure, hippie culture has become synonymous with peace and love, but it also brought with it a wide range of influential ideas—from environmentalism to free-thinking. So let’s explore this alternate universe by answering the all-important question: what would the world be like without hippies?
by David Stone
For starters, many of the unconventional ideals that arose during this movement—such as communal living and anti-materialism—had an immense impact on our society as a whole.
Without hippies leading the charge, these concepts would have been much slower to gain traction in mainstream circles.
Also, without hippie culture, we wouldn’t have some of our modern fashion staples such as tie-dye t-shirts and bell bottoms. The bright colors and wild patterns of these garments have become iconic symbols of carefree style, but they were first popularized by none other than those groovy flower children.
Without Hippies, Would Life Really Be Worth Living?
Of course, no discussion about hippies (or lack thereof) is complete without mentioning the music.
Without the psychedelic sounds of bands like The Grateful Dead, The Byrds, CSNY or Jefferson Airplane providing an auditory background for bluesy funk chords and lyrical folk tunes, our music landscape might look very different today.
Finally, it goes without saying that one of the most important aspects of hippie culture was its commitment to nonviolence and inclusivity. These values are still at work today in many forms—from anti-war protests to charitable causes—and it’s impossible to deny their lasting legacy on our current social environment.
So there you have it: we can only hope that someday our planet will look back fondly on the impact made by the free-spirited individuals who dared to dream big in a time before anyone else could see it possible.
Who knows—without them around maybe we’d still be living in black and white!
