HW 30: Psychological and philosophical theorizing of cool

We've established that the need to be cool comes from a need to feel value. As Andy put it, there's a hole in our hearts, but what shape is that hole and what fits in it? That hole is a "meaning" shaped hole. We want to have meaning in our lives so we try to look cool so other people will notice and appreciate us. To look cool we buy clothes and cool things, but in the end we're trying to fill a meaning shaped hole with clothes. "True cool" at its core has to do with purpose, confidence and attitude stem from that initial purpose.

Meaning comes from having goals and the completion of those goals. To have meaning is to achieve something, to make a difference in society. As teenagers we have little meaning since the majority of us don't accomplish much, we're at a weird point in our lives where we're expected to have done something with our lives when it's impossible to do much at our age. We're meant to find our purpose at this age, and as other people around us start to feel significant the rest of us realize we still may not have a purpose. This is why teens are so easy to sell to, we'll do anything to feel accepted at this age, we're at our most socially dependent age where we need to feel accepted and to do that the majority of us buy cool things instead of figuring out what they want to do in life.

People use products and "poses" to fill this hole because these products and poses might come with a fake purpose. For instance, if someone buys interesting artsy clothes and act interesting and insightful, they'll look interesting and artsy and they'll look like their purpose in life is to create art. This doesn't necessarily fill the hole because maybe that person isn't all that creative or can't draw/sculpt/paint etc. This person is mimicking a purpose and not actually fulfilling it. The main difference between faking a purpose and fulfilling it is the sincerity towards their purpose and their passion for it. Any one can fake a purpose but people who really want to do that in life put time and effort into it, someone who is that committed to what they love is a truly cool person.

The reason why people can't find their purpose in life is because we don't truly know who we are, we all put out these identities and pretend to be people. I'd argue that we have very little that predefines us, when you're born you have your body, family and heritage, aside from that you can be whoever you want. These initial traits limit what you can be, your body can limit what kind of person you can be. The male lion has a huge mane so it can't stalk prey, instead it uses its strength and power in the open to defend its cubs. The lion must assume the identity of the protector because that's what the lion is built for, but the lion can be a stoic protector of its cubs, a kind protective fatherly figure etc. it can assume multiple roles despite it's physical limitations. People are the same way, the way we look limits the way we can act, people can get plastic surgery, but someone who changes how they look is an identity itself, (as shown by hollywood actors who get excessive surgery done) and someone who got plastic surgery can't really assume a hippie or rebel identity because that conflicts with their ideals.