Back then hippies were considered just as people who didn't want to conform to society and therefore created an own world trying to escape from reality. They were considered not only as a subculture but even as a counterculture that has a disrupting affect on society. Most people didn't even bother themselves trying to understand their philosophy, their aims or demands. Politicians didn't really take them for serious. Hence these prejudices caused an overall misunderstanding and veiled the real spirit and the essence of this culture.

In reality being a hippie was a matter of accepting a belief system which transcends the social, political, and moral norms of any established structure. It was their ambition to abolish any kind of hierarchy to make sure that people are no longer judged by their race ,gender, religion or social class. It was a very revolutionary attitude for that time and therefore the establishment feared and tried to suppress them..

 The hippies stood for peace, love and freedom. For them the only way to establish peace in the world was through love and tolerance. They thought the society's biggest mistake was reducing the judgement of people to narrow definitions. It was important to bring virtue and humanity into the system. Being open-minded you were able to attend a state of mind that allows for maximum of personal growth.

Searching for something that was lacking in our capitalistic and materialistic societies they turned to eastern cultures which strongly influenced their philosophy. They developed a close relationship to nature. Through meditating and other "spiritual" rites they tried to enter higher spheres, new dimensions and the subconscious.