The Hippie Way to Age: Keys to Well-Being According to Older Flower Children

No other group of individuals associated with the 1960s counterculture more than the hippies — The long-hair colorfully dressed youth, who rebelled against mainstream societal values and generally sought more meaningful and authentic lives. In 1970, many, if not most, of the 40 million Americans aged 15 to 25 participated or at least sympathized with some aspect of the hippie movement. These “flower children” are now over 60, making a significant part of the older population in the United States. So far, however, no study has presented an in-depth investigation of the hippies’ present reality. Based on 40 in-depth interviews with lifelong, returning, and past residents of The Farm, the largest and most known hippie community and one of the few still existing today, this study offers the first outlook into older hippies’ daily lives and experiences of aging. This presentation summarizes what may be described as the “hippie keys to well-being in later life”: 1) Creative identity work, 2) Multilayered generativity, 3) Meaningful play, 4) Customized spirituality, and 5) Strong psychological sense of community. These five keys share two overarching qualities: ideology and adaptability. None of the keys nor their qualities are entirely new to the field of aging studies. However, their integration and intense application among study participants were remarkable. Accordingly, it is suggested that, like everything else they did, the hippies have their unique way of aging and that a lot can be learned from them about having a satisfying and meaningful later life.