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What makes someone cool or good might just reveal that there’s more than one way to earn status in a world that values both rebellion and reliability.

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Every now and then, a study comes along that’s interesting enough to share, but the deeper you go, the less clear it is what you’re supposed to do with it.

Today’s example? – Pezzuti, T., Warren, C., & Chen, J. (2025). Cool people. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/xge0001799 

How can you go past a study called ‘Cool People’?

The study asked a fun and complex question – What makes someone cool? And is that the same thing as being ‘good’?

Researchers from the US, Chile, and China gathered responses from over 4,000 people across 14 countries. Participants were asked to think of non-famous people they liked and considered either cool, not cool, good, or not good. They then had to rate those people on a set of 14 personality traits/values. These ranged from “adventurous” and “autonomous” to “calm” and “conforming.”

Across the board, people described cool individuals as being:

• Extraverted – Energetic, talkative, and socially outgoing, they thrive in groups and enjoy engaging with others.
• Adventurous – Willing to take risks and seek out new experiences, they embrace the unknown with enthusiasm.
• Open – Curious and imaginative, they welcome new ideas, cultures, and perspectives without judgment.
• Hedonistic – Motivated by pleasure and enjoyment, they prioritise fun, indulgence, and living in the moment.
• Powerful – Influential and assertive, they naturally take charge and often shape the direction of group dynamics.
• Autonomous – Independent in thought and action, they follow their own values rather than external expectations.

[Editor’s note: Well, that is a bit disappointing. I’m not sure I fit into any of these!!!]

Meanwhile, good people were more likely to be:

• Calm – Stays composed and even-tempered, especially in stressful or emotionally charged situations.
• Conscientious – Responsible and diligent, they plan ahead, meet obligations, and pay attention to detail.
• Warm – Expresses kindness and care, making others feel valued, safe, and emotionally supported.
• Agreeable – Cooperative and considerate, they prioritise harmony and are willing to compromise.
• Secure – Confident and emotionally stable, they maintain a steady sense of self regardless of challenges.
• Conforming – Respects rules, customs, and social expectations, blending in rather than standing out.
• Traditional – Values long-standing beliefs and practices, often maintaining cultural or familial continuity.
• Universalistic – Guided by fairness and concern for all people, they advocate for equality, justice, and broad human welfare.

[Editor’s note #2: Hmm…On a good day perhaps this sounds a bit more like me]

One fascinating detail? These patterns were remarkably stable across countries and cultures. From Australia to India to Chile to China, people tended to have surprisingly consistent ideas about what counts as cool versus what counts as good and that there is a distinction between them.

 

So, What Do We Do With This?

I came across the study because, not surprisingly, it is doing the rounds on the news and media.

Most of the media attention around the study has (predictably) focused on the cool part. Who wouldn’t want a peek behind the curtain of what makes someone cool, or some kind of explanation for why that person you know with X-factor is so entrancing?

So I sat down to read the paper and take some notes, and pretty soon found myself at a loss. It isn’t that the findings aren’t interesting. They are. Learning what it is we see in people who are ‘cool’ verified a few beliefs I hold. Seeing how they measured cool was interesting (asking participants to rate the characteristics of those they had labelled as cool). And I did like that what makes someone cool shows some consistency across cultures. But…….

It’s not exactly a self-help guide. As the authors note later, trying to be cool is probably self-defeating (coolness and effort famously don’t mix). The harder someone tries to be cool, the less cool they get.

On top of that, some of the attributes probably have a strong genetic loading (e.g. extraversion) and are therefore not easy to budge. And some of the other traits (hedonism, power, autonomy)? They’re pretty complex and don’t lend themselves easily to a training program. How do you teach someone to be hedonistic in a way that others admire and don’t think is selfish and indulgent?

So the paper can help you understand why you find certain people cool, but doesn’t really provide a framework for becoming cool (although hedonism sounds fun!)

But in the discussion section of the paper, there was something that captured my attention. It was a discussion about status.

The authors (if I am reading it correctly) hypothesise that coolness may function as an alternative status pathway, one where people are rewarded more for creativity, novelty, and nonconformity, than they might be traditional metrics of status (e.g. attractiveness, wealth, fame, lineage).

Consistent with this idea, historically, being “cool” was linked with counterculture movements and subcultures that pushed against mainstream norms. And even in today’s globalised, information-driven world, that still seems to be the case. People admire and elevate those that craft and follow their own path.

That got me thinking that ‘goodness’ which was also profiled in the study, might itself be an alternative pathway to status. The good person – the one who is warm, conscientious, and dependable – also receives esteem, trust, and admiration. Just of a different kind.

 

🧩 Rethinking Status: More Than One Way to Matter

I guess for me, this is the most interesting takeaway:

There are alternative formulas for elevating one’s status

We often think of status as being about wealth, titles, or influence. But this study highlights two other, widely shared pathways to being held in high regard:

 

The ‘Cool’ Path

Traits that tend to attract admiration for being different, bold, and expressive:

• Autonomous – follows their own path, even when it’s unpopular. They might quit a safe job to pursue an unconventional career or stand up for personal values despite pressure to conform.

• Adventurous – seeks out novelty and experience. Think spontaneous road trips, bold travel, or saying yes to things most people hesitate over.

• Open – receptive to new ideas, people, and experiences. Reads broadly, talks to strangers, doesn’t dismiss things just because they’re unfamiliar.

• Hedonistic – embraces pleasure and fun. Might be the person planning wild parties, indulging in great food, or just living fully in the moment.

• Extraverted – energetic and sociable. They’re the ones who strike up conversations, tell stories at dinner, or energise the group.

• Powerful – carries influence or impact. Not just official power, but the kind of presence that makes others take notice or follow their lead.

These are traits often celebrated in subcultures and creative communities—the rebel, the innovator, the nonconformist with a spark.

 

The ‘Good’ Path

Traits that earn trust, respect, and social cohesion:

• Calm – emotionally steady. Doesn’t panic, overreact, or escalate tension—people feel safe around them.

• Conscientious – reliable, organised, and diligent. Shows up on time, follows through on commitments, and pays attention to detail.

• Warm – kind and emotionally generous. Thinks about others’ needs, gives encouragement, checks in without needing a reason.

• Agreeable – cooperative and considerate. They find common ground, de-escalate conflicts, and aim to get along with others.

• Secure – grounded and stable. Projects inner peace and makes decisions from a place of clarity and steadiness.

• Conforming – respects norms and traditions. Follows rules, dresses appropriately for the context, and values continuity and predictability.

• Traditional – holds to familiar beliefs or customs. Might participate in religious rituals, family routines, or cultural practices with reverence.

• Universalistic – cares deeply about fairness and justice for all, not just their in-group. Speaks up for equity, donates to humanitarian causes, or champions environmental issues.

These are the people we trust to look after us, keep things running, and uphold shared values.

Each of these sets of traits offers a different kind of social reward. And crucially, neither depends on being rich, famous, or professionally successful (phew, that’s a relief). They show that admiration from others can grow from how you live, not just what you have.

So I started this journey wanting to know how to be cool and finished it a little relieved that humans might have means other than wealth and fame to elevate each other.