
Are YOU cool? Scientists reveal the six attributes that mean you fit the description
But a new study reveals there's an international consensus when it comes to what it means to be 'cool'.
Researchers conducted experiments with almost 6,000 participants from countries around the globe and found cool people have surprisingly similar personalities.
And it turns out that those who fit the description are universally perceived to have the same traits.
'Everyone wants to be cool, or at least avoid the stigma of being uncool, and society needs cool people because they challenge norms, inspire change, and advance culture,' said co-lead researcher Todd Pezzuti, PhD, an associate professor of marketing at the Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez in Chile.
The study included experiments carried out between 2018 and 2022 in the United States, Australia, Chile, China, Germany, India, Mexico, Nigeria, Spain, South Africa, South Korea and Turkey.
Participants were asked to think of someone who they thought was cool, not cool, good or not good.
They then rated the person's personality and values.
Analysis revealed that 'good' people were perceived as more conforming, traditional, secure, warm, agreeable, universalistic, conscientious and calm.
Meanwhile 'cool' people were thought to be more extraverted, hedonistic, powerful, adventurous, open and autonomous.
'To be seen as cool, someone usually needs to be somewhat likable or admirable, which makes them similar to good people,' co-lead researcher Caleb Warren said.
'However, cool people often have other traits that aren't necessarily considered 'good' in a moral sense, like being hedonistic and powerful.'
As the reach of the fashion, music and film industries grows worldwide, the meaning of cool 'has crystallized on a similar set of values and traits around the globe' and has become 'more commercially friendly,' the researchers said.
'Coolness has definitely evolved over time, but I don't think it has lost its edge,' Dr Pezzuti said.
'It's just become more functional. The concept of coolness started in small, rebellious sub-cultures, including Black jazz musicians in the 1940s and the beatniks in the 1950s.
'As society moves faster and puts more value on creativity and change, cool people are more essential than ever.'
The research was published online in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: General.
The study reads: 'The quest to be cool shapes who people admire, how they talk, where they shop and what they do for fun.
'Scholars agree that people spend an inordinate amount of time and money in their attempt to seem cool.
'People across the globe use the word cool and want to be cool, but what does it mean to be a cool person?
'Our research begins to answer these questions.'
BIG FIVE PERSONALITY TRAITS
The 'Big Five' personality traits are openness, conscientiousness, extroversion, agreeableness and neuroticism.
The Big Five personality framework theory uses these descriptors to outline the broad dimensions of people's personality and psyche.
Beneath each broad category is a number of correlated and specific factors.
Here are the five main points:
Openness - this is about having an appreciation for emotion, adventure and unusual ideas.
People who are generally open have a higher degree of intellectual curiosity and creativity.
They are also more unpredictable and likely to be involved in risky behaviour such as drug taking.
Conscientiousness - people who are conscientiousness are more likely to be organised and dependable.
These people are self-disciplined and act dutifully, preferring planned as opposed to spontaneous behaviour.
They can sometimes be stubborn and obsessive.
Extroversion - these people tend to seek stimulation in the company of others and are energetic, positive and assertive.
They can sometimes be attention-seeking and domineering.
Individuals with lower extroversion are reserved, and can be seen as aloof or self-absorbed.
Agreeableness - these individuals have a tendency to be compassionate and cooperative as opposed to antagonistic towards other people.
Sometimes people who are highly agreeable are seen as naive or submissive.
People who have lower levels of agreeableness are competitive or challenging.
Neuroticisim - People with high levels of neuroticism are prone to psychological stress and get angry, anxious and depressed easily.
More stable people are calmer but can sometimes be seen as uninspiring and unconcerned.
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