Paul Brian
Do you consider yourself cool?
If the answer is no, or “not sure,” I want you to take a look at the following signs that you might be a much cooler cat than you realize.
Let’s get started…
1) You’re genuine
Being authentic is underrated.
So many of us feel pressured to play social roles that aren’t true to who we are:
We smile when we feel upset, we pretend to believe something we don’t to fit in, we dress a certain way to feel cool.
But one of the top signs you’re actually a cooler person than you realize is that you are true to yourself.
You don’t fake any part of yourself or your interactions.
In a world of counterfeits, you’re the real deal.
2) You have passions
Another of the key signs you’re actually a cooler person than you realize is that you have passions.
You care a lot about certain issues, places, hobbies and subjects.
You’re not indifferent.
That sounds like a low bar, I realize, but it’s actually rare to meet people who are truly passionate about specific topics and activities…
Or at least passionate about things they have chosen and which are not just imitating others.
You may be much cooler than you realize if you are very passionate about things whether or not other people are.
Trust me: this is cool!
3) You have hobbies you love to do
This ties directly into point three, which is having your own hobbies.
Whether they be on the nerdy side, the artistic side or the athletic side or anything in between, having your own hobbies makes you cool.
It also provides you with invaluable opportunities to connect with others and meet like-minded folks.
Having activities you love to do, whether it’s kitesurfing or collecting and painting Warhammer figures, is very cool.
It gives you something interesting and fun to do in your spare time and gives you the chance to connect with others who share a similar interest.
4) You make others laugh
Making people laugh is also cool, and is something that cool people do.
The kind of friend and colleague that others seek to be around and spend more time with is exactly this type:
Somebody who makes them laugh and see the humorous side of life.
Instead of being a drain on situations or sullenly sitting in the corner, you try to chip in with a bit of humor and laughter to lighten things up, even when times aren’t so happy.
This brings us to the next point…
5) You seek solutions in tough times
You may be cooler than you think if you are a solutions-oriented person.
When you cut through all the noise and get to the bottom line, there are two basic ways to enter a social or group situation:
As a net plus or a net minus.
What about being neutral? If you ask me, being neutral in a group social situation means you are a net minus.
Why? Because you’re providing nothing.
To be a net plus, you need to add something to those you interact with, whether that’s encouragement, humor, competence, help, or even just a smile.
A sign that you’re a cooler person than you think is that you consistently come across as someone people are usually glad to see!
Trust me, this is not the case for everyone, and many people who walk in a room cause a deflation of energy because people feel they are bringing the room down…
6) You have your own vibe and style
This brings us to point five about being cooler than you realize:
You have your own unique vibe and style.
This means something different for each reader, which is the whole point.
You dress in a way that makes you feel great and express who you are.
You act and speak and inhabit the role that brings you power and purpose in your life.
You also are willing to try out different vibes and styles, sometimes for fun or to explore who you want to be.
Very cool!
7) You are creative and imaginative
Another of the top signs you’re actually a cooler person than you realize is that you have an active imagination.
You read novels and get lost in the fictional worlds that the author creates…
You see a blank canvas and can picture and artistic creation…
You have an imagination that never sits still and always envisions a new creation or idea.
Perhaps you’re a songwriter or a poet, perhaps a writer or a carpenter…
But whatever field you work and create in, you bring imagination and creativity to your endeavors.
8) You have unique and interesting taste
Next up in the signs you’re actually a cooler person than you realize is that you have unique and interesting taste.
You like specific foods, you listen to music that moves you, and you read books and watch films that you personally relate to.
This may align with popular taste or it may not.
The point is not that you need to be obscure or subtle. It’s fine to like many of the same things as others!
The important thing is that it’s your own taste and reactions and that you’re always true to consuming content and relating to art that truly moves you, not just that others speak highly of.
9) You love to explore new ideas, cultures and lifestyles
Another of the signs you’re actually a cooler person than you realize is that you like to explore new ideas, cultures and ways of living.
This could be everything from permaculture and new forms of agriculture, to trying out new spiritual paths, exploring the ideas of your favorite political philosopher or learning about another culture.
It may involve traveling and meeting people in new places or even exploring areas in your own backyard that you never thought of before.
The key fact is that you’re curious and you want to know more. Where others judge, you want to explore.
When you travel, you don’t head straight to the resort full of people from your country, you go out among the locals and the markets where you can mix with the real way of life.
That’s cool!
10) You befriend people from all walks of life
On a related note about curiosity and exploring is the social aspect: you may be much cooler than you think if you love meeting and making friends with very different people.
Whereas some individuals only have one “type” of friend, some of us have friends from very different walks of life.
Part of that speaks to living a life that’s a bit more off the beaten track and getting the opportunity to meet people from very different backgrounds.
The other part of it speaks to curiosity and openness in making friends with a wide variety of people.
Somehow, your ability to connect crosses the usual social, age and demographic boundaries.
I don’t know if I’m cool or not, but I do have a good friend in her 80s who I met in Jerusalem and we keep in touch by email!
11) You work hard to do what you love
Another sign that you’re cooler than you might realize is that you work hard to do what you love.
You may go through many menial jobs or types of work you dislike or find painful, but you weather the storm and work your way up to do what you love.
You have a goal (or goals) in your professional life, and you work hard to make them come true.
That’s admirable and very cool!
By contrast, I know some people who are stuck in jobs they hate and who have simply given up on finding anything new or progressing to something different.
That’s not cool (most of all to themselves)…
12) You’ve overcome significant challenges in your life
We’ve all faced challenges and tragedies in life and there’s no sense in comparing them.
What’s been difficult for me may have been a breeze for you, and vice versa.
But here’s the hard truth about hard times:
Not everyone faces them the same way, and not everyone gets over them.
There are so many ghosts of people living out a shell of a life because hard times and disappointment gutted them and sapped their will to thrive.
It can take years to turn tragedy and heartbreak around…
But if you are on that power curve and making a comeback from the hits that life has given you, trust me: you are cool as hell…
Being a cool cat
Being a cool cat is about being comfortable in your own skin and making other people feel good about themselves, too.
It’s a matter of communicating and bringing people together in shared interests and hobbies.
Being cooler than you realize is a pleasant surprise.
Many of the coolest people don’t really know how cool they are, so I hope this article helps folks appreciate their positive qualities and also recognize how much untapped potential we all have beneath the surface.
