Selflishness: A Cultural Metamorphous, are we Better Off?

“If everyone demanded peace instead of another television set, then there'd be peace.” – John Lennon. The 1960’s are commonly referred to as the hippie era. Young people fought against materialism, in its place, focusing on alternate ideals to achieve happiness. Instead of being consumed with fancy and expensive possessions, and pursuing material success, the youth of the 1960’s attempted to find deeper meaning in living life to the fullest. In the 1960’s, people were concerned with helping the lives of those less fortunate. Youth in the 1960’s were selfless. The materialistic, selfish ideology pervasive in today’s society was simply not prevalent in the 60s.

Music and the arts reflect the mood and the behaviours of society and its people. Music in the 1960’s focused on human rights, and the struggle for the underdog. This was driven by Martin Luther King Jr. and the advancement of African American equal rights, peace and the end of the Vietnam War. Music was simply focused on selflessness and contributing to the betterment of all mankind. Today, music talks about shallow themes, such as the clothes and jewelry one wears and buys and the details of civil disobedience. Music is lacking a positive and united voice influencing society for the better.

John Lennon - Peace

John Lennon has been a world-renowned icon since the 1960’s due to his deep routed beliefs in peace and love. It is hard to find an equivalent icon in the music world today because they are all flash in the pans. Many of the singers now are one hit wonders, which means they have one big successful hit song and before long, they are gone from the limelight, never to be heard from again. Most of these individuals are forgotten along with what was said in their songs. The closest role model to John Lennon in today’s music industry is Kanye West, whose lyrics and public persona embody selfishness and materialism. “I liberate minds through my music. That’s more important than liberating a few people from apartheid.” – Kanye West.

Money vs. Love

The youth of the 1960’s did not have as many distractions as are present today. This forced people to work together and be more communicative, striving for the common goal of bettering society and mankind. Conversely, today we are much more consumed with technology and as a result, we are generally more isolated. In focusing on achieving more success as individuals, we are not contributing to society as a whole.

Selfishness versus selflessness is the major difference between the youth of today and the youth of the 1960’s era. Materialism feeds selfishness whereas peace and love for one another breeds selflessness. The ultimate mark of a generation is the test of time and the 1960’s have left an indelible mark in the evolution of mankind. It is still too early to evaluate the mark of Generation Z but one would hazard to guess that it will likely have far less of an impact on mankind.