Hw 23 - "Cool"

I don’t think that there is one set definition of “cool”. It all varies because the term “cool” is used throughout many subjects. When looking up the term in a dictionary it says: cool >adjective 1 of or at a fairly low temperature. 2 keeping one from becoming too hot. 3 unfriendly or unenthusiastic. 4 free from anxiety or excitement: he kept a cool head. 5 (of jazz) restrained and relaxed. 6 informal fashionably attractive or impressive. 7 informal excellent. 8 (a cool ) informal used to emphasize a specified large amount of money: a cool £50 million. >noun (the cool) a fairly low temperature, or a place or time characterized by this: the cool of the day. >verb make or become cool. There is more
than one definition; it depends on what you are using the word for.

I guess the feeling of “cool” also depends on when the term is being used. When talking about weather than the term is responding to the temperature and the physical feeling of cool. When talking about someone being “cool” it’s usually a good thing because it’s like you are receiving a compliment. “Cool” is usually something that is said in a positive manner. If someone says “oh what do you think of him/her?” Usually the response would be he/she is “cool”. Not many people now days say that someone is nice or kind. Cool is just a word that is used in our everyday life. These days it seems like it’s one of the words we cannot live without like the word “the”. Cool can be referring to clothing, someone’s personality, temperature, and many more things. From my own experiences, I find that cool is always taken as a compliment. You feel good when you hear that someone hears that you are cool. I have never experienced or heard that someone is not happy when someone considers them “cool”.

There are many questions that come to mind when thinking about the word “cool”. Who came up with the word cool? Why are there so many concepts of such a small and random word? Why does the word cool usually have positive response? How are the interpretations of “cool” different throughout various parts of the world? Why would you be cool rather than uncool? What are the pros and cons of being “cool”? Uncool? When did this whole being “cool” thing begin? What was/is the original definition of cool? Would you rather hang out with the “cool” crowd or “uncool” crowd? Why?

There are many ideas that I have had in my mind since we started talking about this word “cool”. When actually thinking about the word “cool” here are some thoughts I have: Out of the ordinary, opposite of “weird”, latest equipment (technology), swag, better than others, standing out, what’s “in”, skills, basketball, higher status, showing off, reputation, style, number of “friends”/entourage, who has you back? Society, acceptance, mucho diner, “fitting in”, leader/follower. These are just some of the thoughts I have.

An example of someone that is cool is like basketball players in the NBA. Lets say if there is a game on tonight with the Cavaliers vs. the Nuggets and Lebron James makes the winning shot; he is going to be considered cool because not only is he a good player he made his team win and it all depended on him that night. Everybody is going to be like “Damn he’s cool”. But what about the other players? That’s what I mean when you have to stand out to be cool. If you are not different from others then you would not be “cool”, you would just be there. It all depends on what you are cool in and what society thinks is cool, these days the “coolest” sport out there is basketball, and if you are a good player then you are automatically considered cool by the society. I guess there are different types of “cool” based on society. Let’s say if you do something out of the ordinary then that would be cool. From my experience this can be proved correct; I have different customs and I am from a different culture. Even though I was born in the city, I have a very diverse background. When I do something traditional and someone hears about it they are look oh that’s cool because this is not usual for them, they do not see this everyday. I guess I am considered cool with some people, but I don’t really care. If I have some close friends then that’s all I need, I’m not really with that “cool” shit. Even though I use the word quiet often, I don’t really care about my status, I only care about the people I am close with and my future because none of this will matter later on.