The Summer of Love
Small acts of grace and kindness, consistently bestowed upon ourselves and others, can likely do more to push society forward than major movements.
In June of 1967, over 75,000 individuals converged in the San Francisco neighborhood of Haight-Ashbury in the name of love and liberation, inspired similar gatherings all over the country, and became the template for countercultural movements even to this day.
Imagine going viral with no media strategy. Pre-internet, this iconic social phenomenon was instigated by a group of young creative types who were fixated on the idea of romanticizing life. These utopian-seeking "hippies" casted off conventional values in exchange for free love.
Unfortunately, by October of 1967, the celebration fizzled out. Eventually mainstream media caught on and the publicity that followed attracted troublemakers. The neighborhood became too crowded, debauchery ensued, and the original organizers departed.
A new concept of celebrations beneath the human underground must emerge, become conscious, and be shared, so a revolution can be formed with a renaissance of compassion, awareness, and love, and the revelation of unity for all mankind.
— The San Francisco Oracle, 1967
Though paradise could no longer be found in The Haight, those young bohemians carried the spirit of collective empathy in their hearts and out into the rest of the world. It can be argued that we are currently in the midst of yet another equally as powerful societal shift.
Half a century later, we are reeling from a plethora of social, economical and environmental movements intent on creating a more just society. Once again the idyllic notion of leading with love is at the heart of these campaigns, and once again we are disillusioned by the havoc that is wreaked in the name of love.
Apparently all of this is happening because we are moving into the Age of Aquarius, an era that will supposedly be marked by a rapid and unrelenting progression towards peace. Whether or not Aquarius is the cause, it certainly sums up the zeitgeist, as we seem to have an insatiable urge for the humanitarian and egalitarian traits that define this astrological archetype.
This is the dawning of the Age of Aquarius ... Harmony and understanding, sympathy and trust abounding, no more falsehoods or derisions, golden living dreams of visions, mystic crystal revelation, and the mind's true liberation.
— The 5th Dimension, 1969
Indeed, if there is ever to be an extended period of peace, we will need to embrace agape love to bring it forth. Agape is an Ancient Greek phrase that means universal and unconditional love, and is considered to be the highest form of love. This is in contrast to self-love, exclusive love, romantic love, love that comes with stipulations, and other lesser forms of love.
Still, there is a sequence that must be followed, as the ability to love others unconditionally comes only after understanding what love is and then gradually expanding one's capacity to love. The lesser types of love may be imperfect, but they are prerequisites for the ultimate form.
The Summer of Love was not just a three-month social experiment, it represented a subculture that spanned two decades. This was an extraordinary time in history that had a profound impact on social activism, though like many other intentional communities that came before and after, it could not be sustained.
A key reason is that free love was used as an excuse to engage in self-destructive activities that became a menace to social order. It was admirable in theory but, in the absence of self-awareness and self-love, ultimately failed.
Likewise, our current movements have spurred counterproductive practices, such as cancel culture, that utilize ostracism instead of compassion. We are able to love those who subscribe to our ideology, but we despise those who do not. Yet again, our idyllic quest for a higher state of collective consciousness is limited because we keep skipping steps.
Universal love is a completely selfless love, however we are inherently self-serving creatures. We still have a lot of growing to do — individually and collectively — before we can overcome separatism to exercise the purest form of love that will usher in a Golden Age of peace. It's not clear whether or not this is even possible, but a more attainable goal is: being the change we wish to see.
As the maxim goes, changing the world starts with changing ourselves. Each of us have at least some power to make decisions and choices that allow us to show up each day as more loving individuals. Small acts of grace and kindness that we consistently bestow upon ourselves and others add up, and en masse can likely do more to push society forward than major movements.
