Cool is a way of life that only creates two paths for us. Each path branches out into sub-paths that are like the requirements for either the cool path or un-cool path. These paths don’t allow us to be authentic in any way and force us to become actors performing a character.
“Cool” has no limitations. It doesn’t stop at the way people look, it goes deeper then the outside and goes inside a person. Down to the way someone looks, dresses, acts, talks, walks, lives and feels. Cool is like a competition to be the best at the inside and outside. it’s a never ending domino effect to see who’s going to be the coolest in the end. Is there a supreme “cool” that has a final say in who is cool and what isn’t cool?
I personally think cool is a feeling. That the reason why we look at the way someone walks, talks, dresses and acts is because it gives us a feeling. We may have been taught to feel a certain way towards someone’s appearance and there over all persona , we still do it either consciously or unconsciously. When we look at someone in the street and we think there cool, we might feel that way because what we see in them we wish we had in ourselves. So its secretly an emotional thing. We would never dare say it out loud because that would be un-cool of us. It would be un-cool to surrender to our inner feelings and admit that we wish we could be like someone else, because of the attention they get and the life style they live in because they are considered cool.
This leads me to theorizing about cool. Where does this sense of emptiness come from? and our need to have meaning? I think the main source of feeling meaningless is the want to be approved of. We desperately seek approval because it makes us feel important. To say it would make us happy is an understatement. Some people would feel more then happy because they would feel life would be perfect if we were liked by everyone. I also think that our extreme need for a sense of meaning comes from our families and friends who are the closest people to us (in most cases). we have the need to be accepted in both our social and cultural worlds. when one doesn’t work the other seams a lot harder to do because we know in our heads we cant do both. In the end its just a fight to keep up. In extreme cases Some people become over whelmed and feel that they have no way out. They are not seen as popular and everyone thinks a certain way about them and think about things like suicide and hurting themselves. This whole idea of cool can be deadly.
Therefore where are we getting this idea about being cool? Marketing companies create commercials and make teen magazines targeting our insecurities and give us the idea of how we achieve being "cool" and for some teenagers its really stressful physically and mentally. a lot of teens strive so hard to be just like what the magazines show and when it doesn’t happen it can send people into a state of even lower self esteem. It makes people want to try even harder. A lot of teens ask themselves why cant I be like that, why cant I look like her because she has the perfect life but we never really look at the person being marketed to us. that person might have the same exact problem that a lot of other teenagers too. Either way no one FEELS perfect, everyone has some kind of insecurity.
Which leads me to my next point. When people feel they need to measure up to everyone else, we start to alter our outside to fit into one of the categories we have created for ourselves. it becomes a desperate race to alter our bodies as fast as we can s that we don't have to bear the pain of un-coolness any longer. a very common form of self expression is tattoos. usually the idea behind the tattoo is the most significant part but people who feel pressured might do it to fit in. Guys who pledge to a fraternity usually have to preform some kind of initiation. The initiation is usually some form of public humiliation so there desire to fit in has increased because if they don't succeed they are seen as a "pussy" or a "punk" because they weren't man enough to finish.
what do we do when the real person we are isn't who we really want to be? how do we deal with knowing that we don't measure up? is it so bad that we want to be like everyone else if it makes us happy... it's not in my place to say but there are always pros and cons. The cons may be that our decisions will always be influenced by the people we wish to be. it renders us incapable of thinking on our own. The only pros would be that there's a possibility of achieving the goal of being cool.
when we look at ourlives really closly theres one thing we cannot deny is, that were all going to die sooner or later. So whats the point of making cool our mission to be when were going to die anyways? why do we waste our time? what is so controlling about being cool? i feel that some poeple may think if they are able to make that a accomplishment in there life that theres lifes will be more meaningful and that when they die they accomplished what they wanted.
In conclusion, its already pre determined who is and isnt going to be cool and we cant do anything about it. all we can do is make the best of the path that were given and if we must rebel then go big or go home., life is too short for small changes that arent significant.
