I’ve often wondered what “being cool” meant, so I wrote this in hopes I could tell myself the answer.

Did anyone tell you that you are cool? Did you ever think about that that means?

I remember the phrase entering my mind in the 1950’s when my older brothers and sisters starting using it. I figured since they said it, and they were cool, they must know what it means. Then I started using it and I noticed everyone else was, so I guess I wasn’t cool anymore.

I’ve heard it used to describe inanimate objects like cars and breasts, people, movies, lower life forms, food and jokes. So there has to be common thread somewhere in this definition.

You can categories things that are cool and not cool.

Cool: big box of cash for a birthday gift
Not Cool: Someone stealing it

Cool: Police car passing you by and you light up a joint
Not Cool: Police car turning around with red/blue lights on and “whooping you”

Cool: Office catches on fire and you get a day off
Not Cool: Boss takes the insurance money and runs. You have no job.

You can invent your own categories, and I guess there is no standard definition other than this Coolness defined