# What Do People Think When They See My Peace Sign? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 14, 2016, 7:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-think-when-they-see-my-peace-sign/774667 "2016-12-14T07:41:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2016, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-think-when-they-see-my-peace-sign/774667/21 "2016-12-14T19:02:11Z")
> [@chappachula](#): > > Interesting observation that may be relevant: > A year or two ago, I visited New York City, and for the first time drove north to the Catskills resort area. Lots of small towns with artsy shops for tourists…And of course, the main one is the town of Woodstock. > I wasn’t going to miss that! > The heartbeat of the 60’s! It sounds as if you did miss it, based on the fact that the Woodstock festival was nowhere near the town of Woodstock. It was actually held on a dairy farm a bit north of the town of Bethel, about 55 driving miles (43 as the crow flies) from Woodstock. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2016, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-think-when-they-see-my-peace-sign/774667/22 "2016-12-14T19:59:23Z")
> [@elbows](#): > > I would think you were, in your youth, and are still, a big fan of peace. . . . Largely this, but I would also associate it with the specific anti-Viet Nam war movement. (Which is also vaguely wrong, because it originated as an anti-Nuclear Weaponry movement!) Also “ageing hippie.” Which is groovy with me! ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2016, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-think-when-they-see-my-peace-sign/774667/23 "2016-12-14T20:13:28Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > I’m a couple of months shy of 50 and therefore born a little deeper into the 60s. This attitude is completely foreign to me. My memories of the sixties are misty, but I think I spent most of my time shitting my diaper. They were turbulent times of great social change, political unrest and teething. ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2016, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-think-when-they-see-my-peace-sign/774667/24 "2016-12-14T20:23:01Z")
> [@Jim\_B](#): > > I am not ashamed to admit, I am just a couple of years shy of 50. I also am proud of the fact I was born in the late 60’s. Just barely, but still. But certainly not old enough to remember them, of course. > …snip… > But back to my original question. What do people think when they see it? As I said, I am going to an anachronistic look. Oh, and BTW, I am trying to say “hippie”, not necessarily peace. I am a pacifist too. But I tend to be rather pragmatic on that issue too. I think war is sometimes justified–as a last resort, of course. Anyways: What do people think? What would _you_ think? > > I await your replies:). I was born in 1948. I grew up in the 60s. To this day, I still see the peace sign and have an immediate response: the footprint of the great American chicken. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2016, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-think-when-they-see-my-peace-sign/774667/25 "2016-12-14T20:28:24Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > My memories of the sixties are misty, but I think I spent most of my time shitting my diaper. They were turbulent times of great social change, political unrest and teething. By the end of The Summer of Love my eyes were able to focus normally. I thought it was a pretty big deal. ---
**Author:** ![Lowdown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c57346/32.png) [@Lowdown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lowdown)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2016, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-think-when-they-see-my-peace-sign/774667/26 "2016-12-14T21:47:55Z")
I’d think, “This is someone I will never get along with.” Then I’d go about my day. ---
**Author:** ![Helena330](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/helena330/32/531_2.png) [@Helena330](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helena330)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2016, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-think-when-they-see-my-peace-sign/774667/27 "2016-12-15T01:07:45Z")
I would think you might be cool to talk to but the pornstache would certainly stop me from trying! ---
**Author:** ![Martini\_Enfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/martini_enfield/32/11123_2.png) [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2016, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-think-when-they-see-my-peace-sign/774667/28 "2016-12-15T01:15:48Z")
“Ageing Hippy” from me, which is cool - you do you! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![JohnGalt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johngalt/32/184_2.png) [@JohnGalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnGalt)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2016, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-think-when-they-see-my-peace-sign/774667/29 "2016-12-15T01:40:08Z")
I’d smile and think of my brother, who painted a peace sign on the hood of his 1956 Chevy in 1970. I’d think that you’re recalling a stressful time in this country and perhaps using it as a protest to our present, um, unknowable future. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2016, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-think-when-they-see-my-peace-sign/774667/30 "2016-12-15T01:53:47Z")
> [@Martini\_Enfield](#): > > “Ageing Hippy” from me, which is cool - you do you! 🙂 Yep. What I’d think is “hippy” and then go on with my day. > [@Loach](#): > > I’m a couple of months shy of 50 and therefore born a little deeper into the 60s. This attitude is completely foreign to me. I feel the same way about the 70s, which were over before I was potty trained. But it was the 70s, and I’ve never met anyone who was that impressed with them anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2016, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-think-when-they-see-my-peace-sign/774667/31 "2016-12-15T02:24:59Z")
Peace signs are commonplace and I wouldn’t think much of it by itself. Maybe if it was on your VW Type 2. ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2016, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-think-when-they-see-my-peace-sign/774667/32 "2016-12-15T03:33:07Z")
To me the peace sign is the same as 420. ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2016, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-think-when-they-see-my-peace-sign/774667/33 "2016-12-15T05:15:48Z")
I’m a bit older than you and maybe a little biased (I still wear a small iron cross pendant myself) but I think a lot of people recognize it and maybe appreciate it. Unlike some of the symbols of our youth in the late 60s/early 70s the basic peace sign has never gone away and hasn’t been saturated as much as the Smiley. Now combine it was either a Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers or Wonder Warthog t-shirt and YMMV ---- but it could be interesting. 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-think-when-they-see-my-peace-sign/774667.md?page=1)