This Tonight Show Host Laughed At HIPPIES In The 1950s

[@55vermeer]

"People today are still living off the table scraps of the sixties. They are still being passed around - the music and the ideas. This land is your land and this land is my land, sure, but the world is run by those that never listen to music anyway." - Bob Dylan

[@mark1952able]

God doesn't decide, you decide to find God if you wish. And Mother Nature has supplied us with plants who teach us about God.

[@55vermeer]

@@mark1952able "I am the medicinal herb. I am the sacred formula, I alone am the sacrificial butter, I am the fire of offering. I am the healing herb. I am the ghee, The Mantra, and the flame, and that which burns." - Bhagavad Gītā, IX,16 'The Book of Religion by the Kingly Knowledge and the Kingly Mystery'

[@55vermeer]

@@mark1952able "The sage dines on a special diet of mist and mushrooms and shares none of the anxieties of ordinary humans. These ageless transcendents existing in the world with a natural effortless spontaneity have the ability to fly." - The Book Of Zhuangzi

[@croutonboo2566]

Hippolyte Thelonious Hieronymus Tzu shrooms?

[@billbradleymusic]

Facts...👆

[@acchaladka]

Oh man, Steve Allen, what an unexpected surprise. And of course a great and insightful interview. Nice to hear him talk about what was good of the hippies as well.

[@ronaldmcdonald3965]

@ They came up with a lot of unconstructive, naive ideas that did not serve them well.

[@eddybrevet6816]

U ain’t talking about me, @@ronaldmcdonald3965

[@nadja1618]

Hadn't thought of Steve Allen in a while, nice guy. Listen to him speak grammatically, in thoughtful complete sentences. Let's make that hip again?

[@Dr170]

Such issues of linguistic fluency have always existed, and are the norm more than not. In Allen's day, sufferers would only rarely be given these kinds of speaking roles in the media. Ironically, things such as the idiosyncratic speech patterns of Allen's associate Mr. Kerouac helped make the media soften its stance on this edict. You are longing for a reality that never fully existed outside of the realms of confirmation bias. As long as people have something interesting to say, let them get there the way their complex brain convolutions allow them to.

[@denysarcuri1213]

Steve Allen was a truly amazing man. Smart, musical, funny, self-deprecating. What a great guy!

[@deesee6009]

Allen died on October 30, 2000, at the age of 78. At first, it was suspected he had suffered a fatal heart attack while napping at his son's Los Angeles area home. However, a Los Angeles Coroner's spokesperson later said autopsy results showed the real cause of death was a ruptured blood vessel caused by chest injuries he did not realize he had sustained in a minor traffic accident earlier in the day.[40] According to Jayne Meadows, "Typical of Steve, [who] was the dearest, sweetest man: He was hit by a man, backing into him, breaking all of his ribs, that pierced his heart ... and when he got out of the car, he said to the man, 'What some people will do to get my autograph'." What a cool guy

[@kingg213]

The hippies in the 50's were Beatniks!

[@drmodestoesq]

The Beatniks in the 50s were introverted....in large part because there were so few of them. The Hippies were extroverts because they had the strength of numbers.

[@kingg213]

@@drmodestoesq I don't recall there being any hippies around in the fifties! They didn't come on the scene until the sixties!

[@drmodestoesq]

@@kingg213 Precisely. I perceive the Baby Boom and the Hippies to be intimately related. Therefore the Hippie movement or culture could not have happened until the 60s.

[@StoneSlumber]

@@kingg213 he coined the term, but the definition changed. (as explained in the video)

[@EduardoSalamanca1960]

I don’t think the hippie movement really took on until around 1967

[@mikesbike9459]

I find it really honest of him to talk so openly about his memory, so we can understand more about his reasoning and take something on our way, thank you for sharing!

[@mark1952able]

I'm Hip to the Blip on your Lip...............POW!

[@AGDinCA]

Incredibly articulate and insightful! Can you imagine how he would feel about our school systems today?

[@briansmith2163]

Regarding school. Now, nobody actually LEARNS anything about European history at all. They learn how to take tests and complete assignments on time. They learn how to complete tasks exactly as described in the time allotted. I don't think ideas or thought carry much weight in education any more.

[@Grimenoughtomaketherobotcry]

It's much more about bureaucratic ladder climbing by people above the classroom teacher. And more often than not it's the worst of the classroom teachers and education bureaucrats who make that climb. "Suck up and kick down!", and you, too, can breathe the rare air of the bureaucratic stratosphere.

[@jonathandewberry289]

I don't now how these Steve Allen interviews haven't blown up and gone viral - this guy is great! What a great archive!

[@hardlyboiled]

i could listen to steve allen forever

[@Snoopod]

Another great interview... what a balanced perspective. Did a really good job noticing the problems and the good in that movement

[@crispy_pringle]

“if we assume there is a god, why he, and personally, she’s black.” loved that line, that feels so progressive for 1989? what a cool guy. and truly feels like someone who is so wise and insightful. wish i was born sooner to watch his shows back in the day. so cool.

[@dshepherd107]

Steve Allen! aAways liked that guy. Contemplative, thoughtful, & was willing to question the “norms” of his times, including his own fatherhood. Seems like that rare sort of person in the entertainment business that is genuine. Not that I agree w/ some of his beliefs, but he was definitely a product of the times he grew up in, as are we all, to varying extents. I’m a Gen Xr. Thx for this. It was very interesting!

[@robotempire]

As someone who’s not in contact with his WW2-generation grandparents NOR my boomer parents, I love these videos. I’m so hungry to know about personal experiences from these times. But since I can’t get it from family these videos are good enough.

[@dlbstl]

Always loved Steve Allen.

[@XXthekingofyouXX]

These interviews have shown that Steve Allen was more of a human being than a celebrity.

[@samanthavillagomez997]

Mr. Allen all Class and real cultured and stylish too! suave and debonaire.

[@Go4Noctis]

This is a man I feel like I would disagree with a lot of things on but is definitely one who would only argue in good faith.

[@Challender]

Steve Allen 21 years since he checked out. Class act! 1954, he achieved national fame as the co-creator and first host of The Tonight Show, which was the first late-night television talk show

[@cuauhtemocmorisco3493]

Aliens in the 60s saw the human race and they said "humans are a weird bunch" and then they left us LOL

[@reelblack]

great clip!

I grew up with Steve Allen. He was the original Tonight Show host! 1954-1957 A great talent Comedian, musician, songwriter,(wrote 8,500 songs) actor, author,( wrote 50 books) TV host.

[@carolnorton2551]

In the 1950's there were a lot of "Think" signs in offices and on desks and such. Now I see "Believe" signs in households and public spaces and in decorating departments, thinking is now discouraged?.. that cant be a good thing.

[@DrOrson]

I grew up with the Steve Allen show. So glad you captured this

[@mark1952able]

Thank you David, for another great reflection!

[@itsmejae78]

Nature is still one of God's beautiful gifts. He truly is an amazing painter. I'm so happy that God has granted me the ability to see the beauty in his creation, without extra help. May God bless you sir. 🤗🙏 Merry Christmas 🎄🧡

[@Denise00700]

Steve was right on! ✌️❤️😊

[@livingdead4829]

The guy you used in the thumbnail was actually a friend of mine. Fast Eddy. Sadly, he passed away. I still hang out with his brother.

[@jeaniechowdury576]

I remember steve allen. He was terrific!

[@thediddler]

Great content. Glad to see these open honest interviews.

[@happyhammer1]

I absolutely love your interviews. They are windows to the past, and if more people took the time to listen to what previous generations had to say we would be better off. It's like everyone has horse blinders on anymore.

[@bolee6820]

I was hip and now i just hurt in my hip

[@forgetfulfunctor1]

Loooool

[@waynesawyer4028]

Dave not many people like yourself can can bring out the best in people well done great interview

[@andyp3762]

An incredibly insightful man, great interview!

[@bowieaddict3178]

Wonderful documentary with Steve Allen.

[@dalethelander3781]

Hippies in the 50s were called "beatniks."

[@amycross5341]

The guy in the thumbnail is Fast Eddie from Schenectady NY. I knew him well from Dead tour. He passed away a few years ago unfortunately.

[@ignorecorporatenews]

I'm still laughing at them. This looks like Steve being interviewed in the '90's.

[@AndyRiesgos]

Since discovering Steve Allen on your channel, I've been looking at other interviews and content of his. Songs, books, comedy and talk shows. This man was truly talented and erudite. It's a shame I didn't know of him earlier (I'm 24) but now that I do know I'll be sure to read his books since they look interesting. Thanks for this gem!

[@lnl3237]

Watch his shows "Meeting of the Minds." Fabulous.

[@leeclark4495]

He was such an clear minded intelligent and articulate person, leaning somewhat liberal but with both feet on the ground and a great talent in comedy and music.

[@jr4062]

He was a very insightful and wise person.

[@jacksutherland846]

Smart man. His attitude indicates the ingredients of his success. And it's mostly just common sense. Or maybe uncommon sense.

[@bluewaterpines8323]

HE WAS MAGNIFICENTLY BRIGHT AND ARTICULATE.THANK YOU SIR HOFFMAN.

[@MaxItUpwithMarta]

Brilliant commentaries. His statements are still true

[@satorimystic]

Another amazing, poignant and enlightening interview. As I was 'coming of age' in '68-'69, the menu I got to choose from was overflowing with music, love, peace, drugs, and so much more.

[@timothykuring3016]

I Love You Alice B. Toklas is a good film about a middle aged man's attempt to become a hippy, and his eventual rejection of hippy culture. It is fairly well balanced in portraying the good and the bad of hippy culture in a gently humorous way ."Flower in the crannied wall..."

[@riverjstarkey7244]

David Hoffman, making 'even' more sense of the 60's- absolute GEM!

[@blindpringles]

What a very thoughtful man. Makes sense that a talk show host would be good at talking though :p

[@jamescarter3196]

“It just means anyone who is, by nature, ‘hip’.” Meaning, ‘someone who wants to know about what new things are happening’. Steve seems to mix the meanings, but I look at ‘cool’ as being more of a feeling, and ‘hip’ is more about knowing what’s going on: ‘Are you hip to this yet?’ Lots of hippies don’t do drugs, and are personally clean individuals, but of course that doesn’t fit in with square stereotypes doled out by people who only feel important if they’re shaking their finger at somebody. A lot of people seem to judge everyone almost exclusively on their appearance, even some people who kinda need the benefit of the doubt regarding their own appearance but don’t have much patience or basic acceptance for others.

[@tonyfaelens3626]

And now we have the " Rat-race " what a good time we have now !!!!! fun fun, lets work 14 hours a day, thank ( god ???? ) for that.

[@jamescarter3196]

What the hell does that have to do with anything he’s saying? Nothing.

[@tonyfaelens3626]

@@jamescarter3196 ,Yuppie ? lets work 16 hours a day ?

[@CynHicks]

@@jamescarter3196 Let me clue you in here. Some people actually believe that the normal state of humanity is everyone sitting around doing mostly nothing productive and having everything they need and desire. They honestly think that the greed of others is what keeps them from living in a paradise. Anyone that even mentions the virtue of hard work or responsibility is evil. I used to be one when I was immature and entitled so this is how I know. Fortunately, for me, I was never the jealous type that got angry over other people's wealth so it didn't take much more than some logical arguments from my wiser elders as there was little emotion attached. In other words I didn't hate "the greedy" I simply didn't understand the world. For some there sadly is no reasoning. "Your mommy bought you a better toy and you should be forced to share it with everyone because it isn't fair." Their mommy may have never taught them that sharing is kind and loving but not required. I don't know what caused it honestly. That's just a guess. I do feel deeply for them though.

[@morgellon9449]

@@CynHicks Kinda like how the military industrial complex, the prison industry, the cops and politicians all leech off the hard work of tax-payers and provide very little in the way of compensation to the society they take from, and in most cases produce a giant deficit. Like how corporations and their government lackeys saw fit to sell America and its industry to communist China for profit, and to intentionally cultivate crime through the War on Drugs for tax leeches such as ICE. Disgusting freeloaders and communist gangsters.

[@CynHicks]

@@morgellon9449 I didn't mention the U.S. prison system in that last reply because honestly it's so much more to do with pure evil than it is simple mass control. It's also a subject that makes me a bit emotional. Fortunately I am rewarded with a life in rural America outside of the major cities but I see what happens there. Oh, it happens here too just not near as much an issue. While "they" may build their private prisons in my backyard most of the "guest" come from their cities. It's profit motivated by sickos that have 0 concern for other humans much less having respect for inalienable God given rights..... I'll have to end it here. This is something I'm more passionate about than is good for my own self considering I can't do SHIT about it.

[@larrynones3353]

Stevereno! Always liked him.

[@gerritesch3936]

You are as high level as anyone who makes Documentaries. Your catalog is undeniable.

[@saltyp123]

I like how the Doctor and Taxes thing is still an argument.....Bro-if you let a dentist put a guitar pick in your mouth--you might have trust issues. I always think of this saying "What do they call a Dr. who graduated at the bottom of his class??? Doctor."

[@kirkthedayman]

Steve Allen is my hero, also the hippie pictured on the video title page is Fast Eddie, a long time Grateful Dead follower and drug dealer in the lot scene

[@eotwn7458]

Commenting so more people see this content cause your videos are really insightful into a world I didnt grow up in.

[@spinningindaffodils]

"Personally, she's black," Okay, that got me. This cats hip, dig it.

[@danaross]

A great one. Thank you.

[@blaiseronstadt6306]

Mr. Steve Allen, Extremely Funny, A Thoroughly Thinking Man. And One Cool 😎 😺 Cat

[@alexanders562]

Woops, the word was "hep" and was used when talking about drug users who use needles and get hepatitis in the earlier part of the 20th century. If there were some cool guys talking about doing some "partying" and a goof like Steve was there wanting to 'go to a party', they would know he does not understand what they mean (as partying is a term among people who do drugs together). If someone smirked and asked if he was "hep" (positive for hepatitis) and he replied not knowing what they mean, he would instantly not get to go to their "party". He would recall the word as "hip" because he did not get the drug users reference, and think it to mean something mysteriously cool, that only some guys get. Conservative minded people would use the term "heppy's" as a derogatory term for the dirty drug addicts, and that is what the counter culture of the 60's looked like to them. Steve was no hep (wise to cool counter culture) guy.

[@dannygitmo]

Steve is spot on....our people dropped the soap and bent over.

[@SSNewberry]

Steve Allen ran a show, Meeting of Minds, which should be on DVD.

[@marcossantana1312]

Gold 👏 Thanks again Hoff

[@prihaps]

7:11 he said Jesus is black✊🏿 Yessss homie preach!

[@SandfordSmythe]

Steverino had Jack Kerouac on his show, and the plan was for Steve to play jazz on the piano to go with Kerouac's readings of his works. Kerouac claimed that his writings were influenced by bop music and uses its spontaneous style. Need I say, Kerouac showed up drunk.

[@tonygrowley5275]

He compared 4 scotchs to getting high.. but then describes how hallucinogens were enlightening, or could be. If he hung around jazz musicians and even was one, he had to come in contact with marijuana, He probably smoked some, but was denying it for his TV show owners.

[@ThomasDeLello]

The term "Laid back", if you don't know is political correctness for "lazy". [ 4:08 ] The 'Hippy" term started out on South Street, don'cha know... That's where all the hippies meet...

[@MyplayLists4Y2Y]

Pay close attention to how progressive and self-aware Steve Allen is in this interview.

[@shadowlandstudios86]

Not like the progressives of today, which are actually regressive.

[@donarnold8268]

Thank you!

[@JayLeePoe]

appreciating things does take a bit of personal courage which is simultaneously present and lacking at all times

[@Jasondirt]

1:19 I loved his report on Clayton Bigsby. One if the best journalist ever.. Do yourself a favor and watch it guarantee you will love it

[@nugley]

"What's the time, man?" Time for change, dude, SNAFU o'clock.

[@genevieve8873]

Man I miss Steve Allen!!!

[@andytaylor5476]

I'm not in agreement that hippies changed school curriculum which resulted education adeficiencies.

[@KiddBloo86]

"Turn on, tune in, drop out" is what he's referring to, I think.

[@drmodestoesq]

@@KiddBloo86 That was from Timothy Leary. He also forgot to add..."and be an informant for the F.B.I. against your ideological enemies."

[@mark1952able]

"I can't get no satisfaction" .....explained by Steve Allen. Check it out!

[@thewkovacs316]

allen may have thought he coined the term, but as the terms hipster had been in use since the 40s, he probably didnt

[@sambradley1968]

The term "Hippie" was used by jazz musicians to sneer the greenhorn hipsters, it wouldn't come into prominence until the mid 1960s, there's a line in the song "South St", that goes "Where do all the Hippies meet?".😊✌

[@solonfuller7478]

A lot of the blues and jazz types were using the slang term before the 60's in songs I have heard.

[@SandfordSmythe]

"hep cat" goes back to the 40's

[@charleswilliams4247]

In _The Autobiography of Malcolm X,_ Malcolm says that the white guys who hung out with black ppl in 1940s Harlem were called "hippies." He said they acted "more negro than negroes."

[@charleswilliams4247]

@pete haskell Yeah, everyone repeats that without going over anything else he ever said.

[@MerynCadell]

Such a landmark guy, Steve Allen. Speaking of 'hipness' - I feel like we all missed out a bit on what he could have brought to various important conversations about Who We Were and where we were all going. By the time the 70s arrived, he was already being seen (in my opinion) as sort of 'old news' -- as in, who needs an earnest guy to spin a homily about the ways we think or dream or have sex or connect to others... as if by virtue of the fact that he'd been on television since the mid-50s he HAD to be irrelevant... when in fact, he was ALWAYS tuned in, as this interview shows. I think we missed out. ~ David Hoffman, two questions for you, if you don't mind: 1. Since you come at this subject (Steve Allen) from a different perspective/age than I do, do you have similar feelings about Allen and how he was perceived as I describe above? How did he fit in to your world view of what was going on? Though it's clear now (to me) that he had some good insights, did you pause or wonder about the effect of including him in the documentary? (My recollection of the series is that he was not in the final production - which may or may not be true.) ~ And 2. I've been wondering this for a while, as I watch more & more clips you've posted, of interviews which did and did not make it into _Making Sense of the Sixties_ ... What was your process for finding the many people you interviewed? I assume you sat down with a producer/s (or... someone else?) and made a wish list etc. But the overall breadth of interviewees you spoke to makes me wonder who tracked down people who would bring so much perspective to various topics and episodes. Was some of it done by casting a wide net, just looking for people with stories? Or was it all done based on initial 'wish lists' and then the natural daisy chain outcropping from that, where one interviewee says, "You know, you should really talk to is xyz..." Or some hybrid thereof? I hope my questions are clear. I'm being a bit verbose tonight. : )

[@DavidHoffmanFilmmaker]

Meryn:Your questions are terrific ones and I wish I had the time to answer them in detail but I do not. I'm sure you understand. I don't mean to sound greedy but those who ask questions as complex and interesting as yours usually contribute to me at Patreon at the level where we can speak on the phone. My worldview which was changing almost daily and still is, did not make the series: the directions that it did. PBS had already presented the series Eyes On The Prize which you may remember. That presented basically the black experience-the civil rights movement etc. I was asked to create the “white" perspective, not ignoring what happened in civil rights (my shows 1 & 2 go into that in detail) but to look at what white largely middle-class suburbanites were experiencing. Also, I assigned myself the task of creating a series that would reach the children of those who lived during that time. The folks who were included in the series were the ones I felt helped young people most clearly understand the different perspectives and experiences the shows looked at. In the early days of working on the series, I realized that the political events of the time less important historically to young people than the social changes that were happening I focuses series in that direction. As for how we found the incredible 180 people that were interviewed for the series? It's a great story but I don't have time to share it with you via this comment section. Thank you so much for your questions. David Hoffman-filmmaker

[@TheNobbynoonar]

I’m still laughing at hippies in 2022.

[@saltydawg7078]

I remember the "old hippies". Was sadly hilarious to see them.

[@Chutney1luv]

Though Steve Allen, was before my time, I totally enjoy his point of view! He had the "Tonight Show, before Johnny Carson took it over!" I remember that his wife and Jackie Gleason's T.V. wife Trixie, were sisters! Now, that was Cool and Hip! Hip probably was a state of mind! A place to lose yourself; as you got high! Flower Power and laughing your way through "Laugh- In!" Escaping reality and hoping that you don't "check out!" Another way of escapism! The reality of using your mind and being creative, is hip today! (But, no one uses the word anymore!)

[@rossedwardmiller]

No one speaks like Steve Allen or David Letterman anymore.

[@lukehoward5296]

7:10 Hell yeah brother

[@julians9070]

Steve Allen is correct about the 60's attitude that dumbed down education. We continue to notice that too many people don't know anything about European history and also don't want to know anything beyond their own neighbourhood.

[@tcb7098]

Hippies helps cause what's happening today....good job

[@debrademusz6044]

Smart man.

[@kenaldri4915]

Steve hosted Frank Zappa dressed in a suit and tie. A few years later Frank was a full blown hippie. Steve was a musician himself as well as a comedian, so he kind of falls in line with guys like Allan Sherman, who also trashed hippies and Beatles lovers but was himself cool too. Dick Cavett on the other hand seemed really awkward and out of place in a room full of hippies, but didn't trash them. Speaking of Frank, Frank seemed to prefer the old guys smoking cigars in the early 60's to the smug, know it all new age hippies that were taking over the music business in the 70's. The later actually stifled his artistic creativity more than the former. Kind of ironic, but maybe another example of why Frank, whom many saw as the archetypical hippie, actually disliked them. George Carlin was also a bit of an anomoly, or at least someone that wouldn't have been embraced by west coast hippies. West coast hippiedom eventually morphed into the widely criticized "hippie subculture" that you see today at countless festivals out here. What started out as more of a marketing gimmick than anything slowly turned into an embarrassing orgy of clown outfits, dubious spiritual, healing & health and other practices, and a good dose of irrelevant music and other so called "art" thrown in for good measure. And the general message in all this? This shows the world that you are "kind, gentle, tolerant, peace loving, and compassionate" while the rest of us aren't? Call it an insulting type of identity politics OK, so fine, whatever......just don't forget how you left the real hippies behind to fend for themselves. And I know that a big part of this is just to sell merchandise and put money in the pockets of the venders. All good fun, right, and so whats the harm? Other than the fact that the whole world is watching and judging you, no harm at all. But rather than build barriers between yourself and others, try reaching out instead. The important messages are getting bottled up in the pipeline otherwise because no one is inclined to take you seriously when you dress like medieval fairies. Instead, they take Trump seriously, who at least dresses for success even though he's actually an idiot. LMAO, how did the world get so twisted like this? It is also well known that in the 60's, some of the biggest hippie haters were musicians brought up on older traditions. In other words, people who should have been accepted into the movement. It was generally only acceptable to play the blues though, something many could not tolerate. Today, the blues has mostly disappeared and is not embraced by todays younger musicians. Too bad for deadheads everywhere... So much for my take on the hippie movement, as in "your worst enemy has always been yourself".

[@ihavetubes]

great video

[@anotherOneMore7]

Yes it changed from actual hip to comodification, the industry of cool.

[@heterodox3487]

1969 thought I was hip. 2019 thought I was woke. Turns out it's all an illusion. Just be authentic

[@Themaddprof]

Best comment on this thread so far. Much respect.

[@Laffy1345]

Steve Allen funny guy

[@johannwolf1]

I love the John Ward homage to you sir. It must be highly activating. Use it well!

[@Steven-gd6rl]

The MK ultra program is why the hippies existed lol. The LSD warped their minds

[@danielstanwyck2812]

the geat and sorely missed steve allen

[@riccisamurai]

John Ward brought me to this channel.

[@WinkLinkletter]

One reason young fringe people of that era stopped studying history was they had realized how much of it was deliberately inaccurate and resented the propaganda they had learned to recognize. This is awareness is another effect of some of the drugs popularly used, but the environment became conducive even without.

[@awylatt]

Thanks for sharing!! what TV series was this on?

[@DavidHoffmanFilmmaker]

My series - Making Sense Of The Sixties. David Hoffman - filmmaker

[@krumpelschtiltzkeen]

They were funny then...in 2019, the leftovers are not pretty.

[@jamescarter3196]

Yeah, a lot of people who expected unbridled personal freedom from being ‘hippies’ are now republicans screwing the country over like the selfish douchebags they always were, and they try to distance themselves from their past by being hateful assholes. It’s pathetic.

[@howardroark3947]

James Carter Nice turn around there. Young hippies always end up old democrat hippies. You must work for CNN.

[@benoitnoel2143]

Wow! I admire the people presented, but his man has overshadowed every opinion and piece seen before. As a young man who never got to watch or recognize Mr. Allen, I have never related more to someone, outside of my own family, as strongly as with him and not specifically to his subjection's but instead to his tone, his way of reasoning, his acceptance of human nature, and the empathy. He seems to be at a struggle with words to rationalize what he sees versus how he can explain it without being offensive, disrespected, or disconnected with the people/culture he is not a part from. He understands his place and how others are displaced from it. With that said, though, his opinions do come from a sense of superiority. He understands, even sympathizes with, the hippies while simultaneously removing himself from their movement and what I think he perceives as a radical existence.

[@randymoyan4754]

Well said