The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.
The word beatnik is derived from the slang term "beat," which was popularized by Jack Kerouac after World War II. The term beat came to mean "beaten down," but Kerouac said that wasn't his intent. He saw the beat generation as people with intense conviction who happened to be a bit down and out. The lingo of this disaffected generation became the beatnik slang of the 1950s.
Morals are formed out of a person's values. Values are the foundation of a person's ability to judge between right and wrong. Morals build on this to form specific, context-driven rules that govern a person's behavior. They're formed from a person's life experience and are subject to opinion.