What is "Cool?"

[brainwaxd]

sorry, this is about as philosophical as i get but it's been something that has been bugging me my whole life...


what is cool and what is not? of course no one can feel right saying that "drugs are cool" but if it were not for the drug use of early writers, musicians, artists, and everyone else responsible for whatever that thing is we call drug culture, would the concept of "coolness" even exist?


to me cool is keeping a reserved demeanor around twittering authority types and jackass men who have any one of a billion different complexes... cool is easing tension in an explosive argument with random compliments... and of course, staying in school...


as it turns out, many undoubtedly "cool" people also happen to use drugs, legal or not... i don't really know the answer to this, and now that i think about it, im not so sure i get my own question...


i guess it's this: is being "cool" a good thing or bad one?

[discobloodbath]

i think the only thing a person needs to be is themselve. trying to act anyother way to stand out and be 'cool' is pointless because the definition of what cool is, is different from person to person. I mean i find james st james to be 'cool' but thats just me, others might just think hes an annoying silly homo.

[sunyata]

All things are relative. That means that whether something is cool doesn't depend on the object in question, but on the subject percieving it. If drugs, fast cars, etc. are cool has nothing to do with the drugs or the fast cars, it is your opinion of them. Beauty lies within the eyes of the beholder.


Of course, some people want to believe that certain things are good(cool) in an absolute sense(that it is good for everyone), but that's just because they don't want to accept a personal responsibilty for their own tastes. That's my opinion, anyway. Philosophers have argued about this for a long, long time.

[msumegi]

I think cool is an elitest concept. You are cool if there are a significant number of not cool people, that wish to be you, that you can look down on, and feel better than.

[billyloner]

Originally Posted by sunyata

All things are relative. That means that whether something is cool doesn't depend on the object in question, but on the subject percieving it. If drugs, fast cars, etc. are cool has nothing to do with the drugs or the fast cars, it is your opinion of them. Beauty lies within the eyes of the beholder.


Of course, some people want to believe that certain things are good(cool) in an absolute sense(that it is good for everyone), but that's just because they don't want to accept a personal responsibilty for their own tastes. That's my opinion, anyway. Philosophers have argued about this for a long, long time.

i agree entirely. there is no such thing as an 'absolute cool' because everyone is different. to try and argue that 'xyz is universally cool' is just ridiculous, as anyone with an ounce of sense in their head would know its not true.

[sunyata]

The truly "cool" does not regard him/herself as such, and neither wants to be cool. He simply lives his life.

[ToxicMind]

I think sunyata nailed it.

[brainwaxd]

Originally Posted by msumegi

I think cool is an elitest concept. You are cool if there are a
significant number of not cool people, that wish to be you, that you
can look down on, and feel better than.

well, feel "cooler" than at least



but good point... thanks for all the insightful replies!!

[dastardlymonkey]

cool is a stereotype.

[William_Again]

this may be a cliche but cool is all in the eye of the beholder, cool
is and will forever be an opinion and everyone has their own opinions.
Unfortuantley people tend to flock towards things that are a are
dangerous, or not as socially acceptable (that whole rebellion idea
blah blah blah...) and b what other people are flocking towards and
thinking is cool.

[Lacognac69]

<DIV>I think being cool is being confident with yourself and also being able to make others feel good about themselves. A "cool" person of course wouldn't be someone who likes to brag about themselves or who is cocky but someone who genuinely enjoys life and makes other people happy in the process.</DIV>