Cool People [pdf]
17 comments
·July 6, 2025neuroplots
GauntletWizard
This makes a ton of evolutionary sense. Success begets success. Those that don't need outside help are successful; those that cooperate and build on it are more successful. Unfortunately, it also leads to local maxima- those that are good at gathering from neighbors and happen to have good neighbors reach highest success, regardless of their own intrinsic ability.
Neither "Attempt to split success equally so everyone gets the same results" nor "Give all the resources to those that have the most" are good ways to run a society, or good long term evolutionary strategies.
xnx
10 hours ago. 12 comments: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=44479009
mttpgn
This submission links to the actual paper. The other submission is the NY Times' summary of it.
rriley
It's a kind of status jiu-jitsu: the less you want, the more others want you.
Good summary of this paper: https://unrav.io/#view/f1604fd7b327f48a9920f4d2561b9626
BMc2020
Cool people are perceived to be more extraverted, hedonistic, powerful, adventurous, open, and autonomous, whereas good people are more conforming, traditional, secure, warm, agreeable, universalistic, conscientious, and calm. This pattern is stable across countries, which suggests that the meaning of cool has crystallized on a similar set of values and traits around the globe. We build on the results to advance a theory of the role that coolness plays in establishing social hierarchies and changing social and cultural practices and norms.
helloplanets
That's a strange comparison! I guess this is where the ultimate caricature of cool comes from, though: Sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll -> Hedonistic, powerful and adventurous. Crank those up enough, and you end up with a trashed hotel room or maybe a drumstick up someone's butt.
whall6
Trying to figure out how to be cool by going as far as to write an academic paper is decidedly uncool
apt-apt-apt-apt
Scientifically analyzing a phenomenon to break down its underlying principles and optimize it is a sign of capability, the one attribute found to be equally cool and good. And can be quite cool in some contexts.
zeroCalories
Just as the blind will never understand color, the nerd will never understand cool.
SethMurphy
I think the term for this would be "poser", the not cool sub segment of the cool kids.
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flkenosad
Aura farming 101
It’s something I realized a long time ago about humans. Resources and opportunities go where they are least needed. Want high social status? Your best bet is to need absolutely nothing from anyone.
Coolness, in its original sense, is about never caring too much because you will never need to. People are drawn to what doesn’t care about them; they assume the response they get will be objective.