A Short Course in What It Takes to Become a Cool Person

Cool originated in early jazz scenes and remains a sought-after social attribute across ages and roles. Six cross-cultural features define coolness and distinguish it from being merely good. Coolness carries positive associations but differs functionally from goodness. People expend significant time and money pursuing cool status, from influencers to executives. Personality-focused perspectives indicate that psychological attributes underlie perceived coolness. Identifying and cultivating controllable traits can increase an individual's likelihood of being judged cool without relying on external consumption, offering practical guidance for achievable social positioning.

As '70s-ish as the term seems to be, "cool" never seems to go out of style as a desirable attribute. If you have kids or work with them, it's likely you'll still hear them put their friends into the two distinct groups of the cool vs. uncool. You might be drawn to one pair of sneakers vs. another just because one screams "coolness" while the other could condemn you to the fuddy-duddy corner of the gym.

Indeed, the term originated decades ago, mainly in the context of early jazz musicians. But as pointed out by Universidad Adolfo Ibañez's Todd Pezzuti and colleagues (2025), it is still the case that "From San Antonio to Santiago, Sydney to Seoul," and among those ranging from social media influencers to CEOs, people "spend an inordinate amount of time and money in their attempt" to achieve this status. So, if this is something you, too, strive for, how can you acquire it?

Because cool carries with it many positive associations, it could easily be mistaken for "good," argue the authors. However, because both terms are used in slightly different ways, there must be something that differentiates them. Part of the inspiration for the Pezzuti et al. study was to separate out these two related qualities. The results of this research can provide you with guidance for getting the psychological attributes you need for coolness without spending all that time and money.

Read at Psychology Today