People who are considered 'cool' have these six things in common across all cultures

We throw the word “cool” around every day when describing people, places and things – but what are we really pointing to? Not fashion trends. Not a perfect playlist. The idea is bigger than that.

The word “cool” is a label people use when someone stands out in a way that feels confident, lively, and a little daring.

A new set of studies tackled that slippery word head-on. Instead of asking for definitions, participants around the world rated people whom they knew. That choice matters because when you think of a real person, your answers become clearer.

The big takeaway: “cool” overlaps with “good,” but they’re not twins.

What makes some people cool?

“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, Ph.D., an associate professor of marketing at the Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez in Chile.

Researchers ran multiple experiments across countries and languages.

In each one, people named someone they considered cool or uncool – or good or not good – and then rated that person on many traits and values.

Comparing those patterns across places helped separate universal cues from local quirks.

How the study was done

Participants didn’t define cool in the abstract. They rated acquaintances on specific traits. That approach reduces confusion and produces results that hold up better outside the lab.

Because the work spanned different languages and cultural settings, the team could check whether the same signals appeared consistently.

If you’ve studied personality before, you’ll recognize some of the traits on those lists.

Think of common frameworks like the Big Five (openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, emotional stability) and widely used value maps that include self-direction, security, tradition, hedonism, and power.

The research relied on this kind of vocabulary so responses could be compared cleanly.

Traits shared by “cool” people

When people tag someone as cool, they’re not just saying that person is nice. Ratings show a cluster tied to boldness and self-direction.

Cool people seem energized by others, open to new experiences, willing to take risks, and motivated by enjoyment. They also look more autonomous – like they’re steering their own ship.

“To be seen as cool, someone usually needs to be somewhat likable or admirable, which makes them similar to good people,” Warren said.

“However, cool people often have other traits that aren’t necessarily considered ‘good’ in a moral sense, like being hedonistic and powerful.”

How being “good” differs

Good people, on the other hand, score higher on warmth and agreeableness. They come off as calm, conscientious, steady, and more traditional. They care about security and fitting in.

You can picture the difference right away. A trusted neighbor who always shows up might be “good” in every sense of the word, while the trendsetting club owner or startup leader might read as “cool.”

Cross-cultural patterns emerge

Here’s the twist: the pattern barely budged across the map. You might expect cool in the United States to look different from cool in South Korea or Nigeria.

Yet the same adventurous, open, self-directed, socially energetic profile kept showing up. Slang changes. The core idea travels well.

Why would that be? Some signals are simply easy to read in any language. Openness to experience looks like trying new things.

Autonomy looks like making your own choices. Social energy looks like bringing life to a room. People track those cues quickly, and they matter in group life everywhere.

One trait did not distinguish cool from good: basic capability. Across the board, competence mattered. If someone seems ineffective, admiration is hard to earn, no matter the lane.

Beyond that shared base, the paths split – stability and care for “good,” novelty and autonomy for “cool.”

Limitations of this study

No study is perfect. The surveys kept the English word “cool” even when the rest of the materials were in other languages. English slang spreads widely, but that choice brings a bit of cultural flavor.

Many participants came from online panels or university pools, which are great for comparisons but don’t capture every voice.

Finally, the work looks at perceptions, not a moral scorecard. It maps how people use the label “cool,” not who deserves praise in some objective sense.

How to be cool in real life

Want to project cool in a healthy way?

Skip the stone-faced act – curiosity works better. Try something people haven’t seen yet, then share the energy from that accomplishment.

Own your choices, even small ones, and show you’re comfortable steering your day. People notice autonomy and enthusiasm.

Want to project goodness? Lean into reliability and warmth. Keep your word. Offer calm help. Focus on care and steadiness. Both roles matter in a community. They just carry different cues.

Roots and relevance of cool people

“Coolness has definitely evolved over time, but I don’t think it has lost its edge. It’s just become more functional,” Pezzuti said.

“The concept of coolness started in small, rebellious subcultures, 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.”

Those roots explain why cool is tied to early movers. People who tinker, mix influences, and put ideas into action often set the pace. They may not be the most obedient in the room. They make new things feel possible.

We admire both cool people and good people, but for different reasons. If the “cool kid” and the “good kid” seem to orbit different planets, you’re not imagining it. Each plays a role in how groups change and how cultures move forward.

The full study was published in the journal American Psychological Association.

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