198. What Does It Mean to Be “Cool”?
40:10 Share

My Wrangler jeans from Walmart are legit my favorite go-to pants. They got that slim cut that's always fresh for going out. Hey, what's up? They're durable enough, even for my shift, and stretchy enough for when I want to kick back and chill with a movie. So basically, they can do it all, paying on my budget. I mean, come on. You really can't beat all that. Shop your Wrangler pants at Walmart.

Dang, Grandpa was hip. I'm Angela Duckworth. I'm Mike Mann. And you're listening to No Stupid Questions. Today on the show, what does it mean to be cool? I've never really cared about trying to be cool, but maybe that's just because I felt like it was a hopeless battle for me. Yeah.

Mike, we have the best email ever from Anonymous. Well, that is a very high bar, Dr. Duckworth. It's a cool email. I'm going to read it to you. Hi, Mike and Angela. Lately, I've been thinking about what it means to be quote unquote cool. Okay, I get it. Right?

People who have historically been labeled as cool often seem to be caustic, edgy, and anti-authoritarian. Punk rockers and James Dean in Rebel Without a Cause immediately come to mind for me. Things that are considered cool are often exclusive and elusive. Fancy nightclubs, VIP rooms, designer clothing. Why are these idolized instead of traits like earnestness and things that are more accessible?

For example, in this part, I'm not sure I agree with Anonymous. Why is Rihanna cool and Taylor Swift isn't? Oh. What? Those are fighting words. No wonder they typed in Anonymous. The Swifties would rally. Exactly. But this one, I kind of have to agree. Why is Gucci cool but Walmart isn't? And why do I care? Thanks, Anonymous. Okay. Let me just say first and foremost, my mother...

once picked one word to describe me, and it was earnest. Which Anonymous just said is definitely not cool. Okay, Mike, if there were one word to describe my husband, Jason, it would be earnest. So you're in good company. But also, Jason, apparently we are not cool. Look, when we got this email, I immediately texted my daughters because I was thinking...

Well, actually, the first thing I did as I talked to my earnest husband. So Jason and I had this very brief conversation about what's cool. And he was like, I don't know, but it's definitely not what old people do. It's more like what young people do. I know. I was going to say respectfully. I don't know that that's the group to talk about what's cool. It's like one 50-something-year-old says to the other 50. It's like a New Yorker cartoon. Right. I know. But, okay. Then I decided to text Jason.

Amanda and Lucy, and they are 22 and 21. So they are within striking distance of cool, if not possibly in the epicenter of cool. And so Amanda texts back, Sambas are in. I think those are those Adidas sneakers. Oh, people are really into Stanley cups right now. Do you know what those are? I have seven of them, I think, including one right here. What?

go. You have a Stanley Cup, a really big Stanley Cup. Oh, no. All Stanley Cups are really big. That's part of what's funny about it. Is there? Is that right? Yeah. Everyone's like, why do you need this massive thing of water? But look, people can argue all they want. I have a friend who

And her name is Lori. And she was kind of railing against Stanley cups. And I said, Lori, I don't really care. I'm not trying to be trendy. I drink more water and I am more healthy because of this. Wait, what's different about this particular bottle? It has a handle. It's very large, but it has a smaller base that can fit into your cup holder in your car.

It has a large straw that makes it very easy to get the water. Oh, I love straws. Maybe this all seems dumb, but I will say this. I bought Lori a Stanley. Yeah. And Lori went from a hater to an evangelizer. To an evangelizer. So they are trendy, but I'm going to go ahead and say they're trendy for a reason. I will also say I gave my sister...

a Stanley mug for Christmas. And her daughters, who are about the ages of your daughters, literally said this.

When my sister opened it, oh, good, mom, you can finally be cool. No, what? Yes. Okay, well, I want to read you the rest of Amanda's text. Lucy chimes in, super depends on the person for girls of our age and educational demographic, slicked back buns, bows on shoes, hair, etc., red ballet slippers. Amanda chimes in, guys wear their hair all fluffy in the front now.

And I just text back that I have no idea what they're talking about. Okay, this topic of cool may be inappropriate for uncool, earnest, old people like ourselves. But I think this anonymous question is a great one. Here's where I want to go while we're on the topic of your daughters and what they think is cool. I have a YouGov survey here, surveyed almost 35,000 U.S. adults.

in March of 2024. So this is recent data. Really recent. They asked the question, do you think you're cool? Oh, wow. I love this question. What percentage of adults in the U.S. believe themselves to be quote unquote cool? Okay. I think more people think they're cool than think they're uncool. At least 50%. Maybe I'll say...

80%. And the second thing I'm going to rush to say is that I think it probably varies by age. And I think older people may think they may have a little bit of a realization that they are ripening and not ripening toward cool, ripening toward earnest, maybe. Before I tell you the answer, if you were asked this question, do you think you are cool? What's your response? Do I think I'm cool? Yeah.

You know, I don't think I'm cool. I would also have said no. 53% of adults in this survey said, yes, I think I am cool. 29% said no. And 17% said, I'm not sure. Oh, that's interesting. So only one out of three people said, oh, not me. I am not cool. Interestingly, 61% of Democrats said, yes, I'm cool.

54% of Republicans said, yes, I'm cool. And 47% of independents said, yes, I'm cool. And your guess about age is correct. 75% of people between 18 and 29 said, yes, I'm cool. It's not like old people are cool. Because the word cool doesn't just mean good, right? It's not like...

everything good is cool. Only some things that are good are cool. And I don't think it's old things. So the word cool and what it refers to has shifted dramatically over time. Like the use of the word? Yeah. So back in the 1930s, and this comes from David Skinner, who's editor of the National Endowment for the Humanities magazine called

appropriately, humanities. But he wrote about how starting in the 1930s, cool started appearing in American English as this casual expression that mostly meant intensely good. Oh, really? In the 50s and 60s, that's when it grew into this more multi-purpose slang word and grew much more prevalent.

And different meanings of cool over time have been self-possessed, disengaged, quietly disdainful, morally good, intellectually assured, aesthetically rewarding, physically attractive, fashionable, and on and on. So it has all these different things, but it is kind of the one word that's really stuck around to mean something different.

Generally positive. Don't we use the word hot to mean the same thing as cool? I just find that really interesting. Hot so often also refers to a person's level of attractiveness, but you can also say that thing is hot, meaning it's getting a lot of attention or it's really popular. But I will say this, speaking of cool...

My family was recently together. This is, I guess, a couple of years ago. And I'm standing there talking to my younger sister, Allison, and in walks my niece, who's amazing, awesome. I think she's just entering high school at the time. And she is wearing these huge baggy pants. And I said something because I thought they looked a little ridiculous. And my sister, Allison, looks at me and says, Mike,

If you want to sound old and not have a great relationship with your nieces and nephews, then say stuff like that. Otherwise, just be like, hey, you look great. Also, don't comment on what people are wearing. Yeah.

I have been schooled in this and don't say anything. Don't say you look great. Don't say you don't look great. Just, hey. I just had never seen any pants like that. I am with you, okay, in this safe space that we have created for ourselves to have conversations, Mike, that I'm sure Lucy and Amanda will never hear. I remember for several years, it was like,

Are you deliberately trying to look bad? Like, why would you wear pants like that? Or there was this, and maybe it's still true, this like half shirt craze, like it's winter, but I'm going to bear my midriff in a ridiculous looking half shirt with my pants that look like they're too big on me. Like, I couldn't understand any of this. And for me, it wasn't just that I felt like, why not do this other practical thing? To me, it was kind of like unattractive.

it was aesthetically unappealing. But I now realize that in addition to the function of a product, like these are pants, they're meant to, you know, keep me warm or something, right? Like there's also, I think, signaling. And I think a lot of

coolness is signaling that you are part of a certain social tribe and not another. Like, okay, what is this stuff that Amanda and Lucy are talking about, like ballet flats and slicking your hair back? You know, it's signaling. Well, here's what's really amazing. I looked at some old pictures of my grandfather.

Who was wearing this pair of thick black glasses. The ones that are like on nerds in movies. Yes, but my grandfather looked great. He was in a crisp suit, but with these glasses. And I thought, I remember when I was in high school looking through the pictures and I was like, gosh, why would you ever wear glasses that look that dumb?

Fast forward, I don't know, 15 years, I'm flipping through the same photo book and those glasses are in style. I look at the same picture and I was like, dang, grandpa was hip. And then I realized how dumb I was. And I was like, man, all of these quote unquote cool things just go through cycles. I read one thing from this journalist, Mark Bain, who wrote an article called What Cool Means Now in Quartz.

This really struck me, and I'm not always trying to bag on social media, but he said one of the most interesting things about cool and social media is that what it's really done is sped up the cycles where things become cool quicker, but they also lose their coolness quicker. Oh, interesting. Because it can catch on and then fade much more quickly than it did in the past. And so Crocs, you know Crocs. I know Crocs. I have Crocs. Wait, wait, before you tell me they're uncool.

I have so many pairs of Crocs. Are they not cool anymore? No, they are cool. Oh,

Oh, they are. Oh, good. But like they were and then they weren't. And now they are again. Oh, I was just wearing them for years. So I probably missed the uncool period during which I was also wearing them. You just wore them through. I've never owned a pair of Crocs. All I know is that I have these two nephews who are like 18, 19. The one has the hair exactly like you've described, the old puppy in front. He's very quote unquote cool. And they both wear white Crocs.

all the time, everywhere they go. And I will admit that while I do not consider myself cool, and therefore I'm in the minority of adults in the U.S., and I've never really cared about trying to be cool, but maybe that's just because I felt like it was a hopeless battle for me. You're like, I'm not playing that game. But I will say that as I've gotten older, I do recognize much more than I did when I was young

It's also association. Do I want to be associated with this individual? Do I want to be associated with this brand? Look at how brands sell. Nike, Under Armour, et cetera, they all try to attach their brand to these really cool figures in sports.

Michael Jordan, who's on Nike, and then, of course, there's the entire Jordan brand. There's Steph Curry in the basketball world, who's in Under Armour. And there's this collegiality among Under Armour athletes. And I'm in the Under Armour family, or I'm in the Nike family. And people get paid a ton of money to be associated with brands. I remember my nephew, Drew, who's, I don't know, probably...

12 years old now, he, at maybe six years old, was so in love with certain Under Armour athletes that he was only wearing Under Armour. What? And it started that early because of the cool factor. At six. It's like really early, like well before puberty. So interesting. But that's, I think, the power of, quote, cool, right? And association with those brands.

You know, one of my very closest collaborators is Colin Kammerer, who is one of the founders of Neuroeconomics. He's at Caltech. We've talked about Colin Kammerer's research before. And he has a colleague there named Stephen Quartz, who's actually a philosopher, a

And there was somebody who was, I think, working in Professor Quartz's lab named Annette Aspen. Anyway, the two of them got together and wrote this book. And it is on neuroeconomics, but it's actually called Cool, How the Brain's Hidden Quest for Cool Drives Our Economy and Shapes Our World. And what Quartz's research and other research

neuroscientists research show is that we have a basic human need for status and to be respected. The identification of this part of the brain from Quartz's lab and others is the medial prefrontal cortex. In Quartz's words, like, this is where social identity lies. And he has this phrase like a social calculator. But basically, the idea is that we are tracking how other people think about us

And it's like a number that can go up or down, and it can change based on who you're with. But we have a fundamental need to be higher, not lower, in status. I think this is why social media is so powerful, right? And I know it's hotly debated, but it's so powerful. And therefore, as any powerful influence might be, potentially...

And I think it all goes back to, yeah, our brains are wired to care about signaling, you know, where we fit in in the society. And ideally, the niche that we occupy is a high status niche.

not low status niche. So coolness is kind of fundamental to the way we make sense of the world and ourselves. Right. Well, Mike, I would love to hear the thoughts of NSQ listeners on what it means to be cool.

What does the concept mean to you? And how important do you think it is in everyday life to be cool? Record a voice memo in a quiet place with your mouth close to the phone and email us at nsq at Freakonomics.com. Maybe we'll play it on a future episode of the show. And if you like the show and want to support us, the very best thing you can do is to tell a friend. You can also spread the word on social media or leave a review in your favorite podcast app.

Still to come on No Stupid Questions, what's different about being cool in 2024? Oh, no, I cut this wood at my house and then I figured out via YouTube how to build this amazing table and this is where my family eats now. No Stupid Questions is sponsored by Rosetta Stone. Traveling to a place where people don't speak a lot of English? Then Rosetta Stone, one of the most trusted language learning programs, is for you.

Rosetta Stone teaches through immersion, like matching audio from native speakers to visuals, reading stories, participating in dialogues, and more.

The true accent feature even provides feedback on your pronunciation. Plus, learn on the go with convenient, flexible, and customizable lessons as short as 10 minutes. Rosetta Stone can be used on a desktop or as an app, and you can download lessons for offline use. See for yourself why Rosetta Stone is beloved by millions.

For a very limited time, our listeners can get Rosetta Stone's lifetime membership for 50% off. That's 50% off unlimited access to 25 language courses for the rest of your life. Redeem your 50% off at rosettastone.com slash questions. My Wrangler jeans from Walmart are legit my favorite go-to pants. They got that slim cut that's always fresh for going out. Hey, what's up? They're durable enough even for my shift.

and stretchy enough for when I want to kick back and chill with a movie. So basically, they can do it all, paying on my budget. I mean, come on. You really can't beat all that. Shop your Wrangler pants at Walmart. Every sandwich has bread. Every burger has a bun. But these warm, golden, smooth steamed buns? These are special. Reserved for the very best. The Filet-O-Fish. And you. You can have them too.

Now, back to Mike and Angela's conversation about what it means to be cool.

What's fascinating about this idea of cool is there are some who want to, of course, follow the trend or set the trend and be associated with the trend. There are also people who as soon as something becomes popular, so maybe I'll distinguish popular and cool. As soon as it becomes popular, it's no longer cool to like it because you want to be this countercultural person.

person, you know, and I've read a book recently where this guy was talking about how much he loved this new musician, but it's because he was one of the first to find them and to really follow them. And then as soon as everybody else found this new artist, he was like, yeah, don't like him anymore. I think you're right. It's not just popular. I mean, maybe this is why Taylor Swift is

I don't know who this anonymous person is who's trying to protect themselves, but like, I think Taylor Swift is cool. But maybe Taylor Swift is so popular now that she can't be cool. There is this paper in the American Journal of Marketing on brand coolness that was published in 2019. And one of the things that these two marketing people who wrote the article claim is that you can't really be cool

cool in the same way when you go mass. So when everybody else is listening to that music, you can't be cool in that niche way that you were when you got started with some small in-group of people who are early adopters and kind of discovered you. But you

you can become iconic. Wait, so it's movement from being cool to iconic. Like that's the growth trajectory of- Right. And they say there's like this cycle that goes from niche cool brands, which are, they have this checklist, like rebellious, original, authentic, subcultural, extraordinary, aesthetically appealing, energetic, high status. So that's the niche cool brand checklist.

And then as it spreads to the masses, right? So like more people are buying that album or whatever. Then you can become a mass cool brand and they have a shorter checklist. So they say that mass cool brands are energetic and

They are high status. They're popular. They're iconic. And then the last one is, and still moderately extraordinary, moderately aesthetically appealing, moderately original, moderately authentic, moderately rebellious, and moderately subcultural.

Because you can't be that rebellious at that scale. I guess so. I guess you've become corporate. You probably have a chief human resources officer. Like you're trying to sell to everyone, not just, you know, 1% of the population. I mean, if this chart had a personification, it would be like a teenager becomes middle age. Yeah. It's like, you know, you have higher status maybe than you did before, but you're like

Getting gray. It's interesting because as I think about what you're describing, one of the cool things, at least in the world I operate, is a Jordan shoe, right? I think the famous one is like it's red, white, and black, right? There's a very famous Jordan shoe that was red that was breaking the initial rules of the NBA because you couldn't, I can't remember the details, but you couldn't wear that color or pattern or something because it had to be more...

Milk toast. And it was kind of this cool iconoclastic rebellious thing. Maybe go from iconoclastic to just iconic. Yes. That's the progression, right? But that's what I think is so interesting about his shoes right now is they're in this, at least it feels like Renaissance where they are the most iconic thing. They are cool, even though they're rather ubiquitous, but there are different levels of Jordan's shoes. And then they have all these drops.

And so part of cool is limited edition quantities. So, hey, we're only going to drop X thousand pairs of this shoe. You have to line up and try to get online on the exact moment. And then you either got it or you didn't. And if you didn't, you have to buy it for triple or quadruple or whatever the price on the resale market is.

So part of it is creating sort of a level of exclusivity to being able to purchase this thing. And that's where some of the cool factor comes in.

Okay, so here's a cool story. So you were just talking about Under Armour, and I think one of their athletes is Lindsey Vonn, who, as we both know, is an Olympic skier par excellence and kind of an icon in the skiing world. Yes. And Lindsey has a foundation for helping girls develop confidence and, dare I say, grit, and

And so I'm on the advisory board and she has an auction every year that's basically her swag from being an Olympic skier. She's like an unlimited number, apparently, of like really cool jackets and other stuff that I don't know about because I'm not a skier. And one year I bought a jacket for Lucy, who was, I guess she was like,

19 or something at the time. And by the way, when I got it for Lucy, it wasn't a surprise. I know I'm not cool. So I was like, Lucy, which of these jackets do you want to buy? Because it goes to charity and also you need a jacket. And she picks this brown jacket that...

I would say I would not have picked. I mean, it's really big. It looks too big. It doesn't even look like a ski jacket. And it's got all of these decals from all the sponsors. Yes. And she gets this jacket. And I kid you not, anytime I am with Lucy while we are walking around and she is wearing that jacket, we get stopped immediately.

Three or four times per hour with young people always saying something that I can't even like. They don't even say cool jacket. That would probably be an uncool thing to say. They probably say something like nice drip. Yes. They say something that I would have to go home and Google. Which I'm sure I just used incorrectly. I'm sure you did. But drip I think is what people call it.

I'm sure we just had a moment of uncoolness there. But it's marvelous to me in the sense that like, wow, clearly these young people are sending and receiving signals to each other. And I think that is part of coolness, right? Like that there is this secret language that some people don't speak. And that's what makes it cool. I do think it's interesting because as we're talking about this, it's like

she's wearing this amazing Lindsey Vonn jacket that other quote, cool people recognize and they're having this communication. But I also think there are segments of cool where maybe within like the engineering community,

You are the iconic person that is really cool. But also within communities, you can signal in a very different way. And part of their thing might be, I don't care what you all think is cool, in my world,

This is cool. Right. And so there are subsets of languages. You can be cool within your niche. Like maybe you don't even want to be cool in somebody else's niche. Right. I mean, you and I spoke recently and we were talking about authors we loved. You had mentioned that you met Judy Blume and you held hands briefly. And that was this really cool moment for you. It was so cool. There are a lot of people.

who are like, who's Judy Blume? But they're cool is, hey, Angela Duckworth, guess who I just met? And your response is, I don't know who that is either. And so I think it's important to recognize that there is signaling within groups. We also have to recognize that there are a lot of different groups and it's okay to not have to signal to groups that you're not

part of or don't need to be part of or don't care to be part of. Right. I would love if you're willing to get your take on this article I read that talks about these four traits of cool. Oh, wait, what? Is it by scientists? It's by a Darden graduate named Johnny Miles, who got insights from this professor of marketing named Lalene Anik and a Yale management PhD candidate, Ryan Hauser. So

So academically informed. Okay, got it. So they go through these four traits, autonomy, authenticity-

attitude, and association. Now, we've already hit on sort of association. I believe firmly in that one, of course. Under Armour has Steph Curry. It has Lindsey Vonn, etc. Nike has Michael Jordan. So you associate cool with that. When they talk about autonomy, they talk about this lack of conformity, unconventionality, rebellion, individuality, and independence.

And that it goes away as soon as you become, quote, a mainstream sellout. Oh, sellout is a good antonym for cool. Yeah. And mainstream is sort of this dis. It's like, ah, you went mainstream. You're no longer cool because you're corporate, I think is the word you used earlier. Such a dis. Ah, you're corporate now.

Wait, so that's autonomy. And what was the second A? Authenticity. To quote them, as highly sophisticated social beings, we're adept at reading subtle clues to determine whether someone is, quote, being themselves or trying to pass as something they are not. Ah, okay. So for example, if a company or corporation tries to be cool and everyone's like, okay,

OK, guys, you're IBM. Like, let's not. Right. Like it just doesn't come across as authentic. This is why whenever I say hashtag anything, my kids like roll their eyes because that's me trying to do something. But for them, it's like really inauthentic.

By the way, we've done behavioral science studies where we have sent text messages to literally hundreds of thousands of people across the United States trying to, for example, encourage them to get their flu vaccine. Sure. Or, you know, boosted for COVID. And sometimes these not so super cool scientists, myself included, we write these text messages that are supposed to be cool or funny. Right.

And wow, do they land like lead balloons. So what we've recently been recommending to companies is like, don't try to be what you're not. If you're a pharmacy chain and your brand, appropriately enough, is not cool. I don't even know that anybody needs to go to a cool pharmacy. Right. You probably want to go to an earnest pharmacy before a cool one. Then write a text message in that voice.

But the authenticity thing is very interesting. I want to come back to autonomy, but tell me what attitude is. So attitude, I think, is really interesting. And they talk about it and use this phrase, casual effortlessness. And if you think about it, if you're trying to be cool, that's not cool. Oh, interesting. So it's kind of a swagger. Like, I didn't spend seven hours trying to get ready. I spent seven minutes, but like...

I look amazing. Exactly. There was this trend for a long time that you wanted to look like you kind of just rolled out of bed and are here. But ironically, it took two hours to look like you rolled out of bed. Right. Yeah. So it's this idea that the minute you try to show you're cool, you're not. So you've got to portray this attitude of casual effortlessness.

I think that's so interesting. I mean, if you put it all together, and I want to go back to autonomy, because now we've talked about association, we've talked about authenticity, and then just attitude. The human need for autonomy has been long recognized as one of the basic human needs. And it's so profound that as soon as you tell someone what to do, they don't want to do it.

You know, Jason and I were remembering, you know, different parts of the chapters in our relationship, you know, times that one of us was trying to get the other one to do something. And it was just like the moment we let go, like the moment we were like, you know what? You got to make up your own mind. I can't make up your mind for you. You do what you want. That's the moment where it's like,

well, actually, I can kind of see your point of view. And this need for human autonomy is as ingrained as our need for status. And I think there is this element, like if you do think about, you know, James Dean and you think about subcultures and just like the rebelliousness that seems part and parcel of being cool. You lost me at James Dean, but carry on. Wait, you don't know who James Dean was? I mean, I've heard the name. I'm so sorry. Wait, what? All right. By the way, I was not like a

alive while everybody was watching Rebel Without a Cause for the first time. I'm not that old, but haven't you seen like posters of James Dean? He usually has his collar up. Oh, yes, of course. I just Googled him. You just Googled him. Oh, gosh. I totally know. I mean, I recognize him and I get what you're saying. Sorry, I did not know. I'm

Really? Okay. Well, there is always this autonomous, like, because that's what rebelliousness is. It's just like autonomy to the extreme. So I think you're right. I think that's a great list. You know, you can see the through lines here, right?

Also, I did go ask ChatGPT what is cool now, just because I was curious to see. Oh my gosh. So super want to know what ChatGPT says is cool. And I'll just say from the business side of things, I think this resonates so well. And it's interesting because ChatGPT didn't bring up

brands or clothing or TV shows or anything else. It said that things that are considered quote cool in various contexts, sustainability,

because there's this increased awareness of environmental issues. I think that's much more on the forefront of this Gen Z, their mindset. Retro styles. I mean, we've seen that with the jazz. We've done a bunch of retro jerseys, and I think they've done that across the NBA, but those are very popular. People love to go back to that moment in time. Yeah, interesting. Wellness and mindfulness, that's become such a buzzword almost.

Social activism. I mean, back in the day, there's a very famous quote from Michael Jordan who we've talked about. And people said, why aren't you more socially active or talking about a stand? And his famous quote is Republicans buy sneakers, too. Huh. Interesting. Whereas I think today it's very expected that celebrities take a stand. I mean, you know, if you have a Twitter account, then you're expected to say something.

And then another one is DIY culture is now cool. DIY culture, like watching on YouTube videos of like how to play the guitar and then playing the guitar? Like I want to make my own table. Oh, right. Instead of like going to Ikea. Yeah. Like it's so much cooler to be like, oh, no, I cut this wood.

at my house and then I figured out via YouTube how to build this amazing table and this is where my family eats now. So I just thought it was really interesting to see, again, not like I'm saying ChatGPT is an oracle, but I see that reflected a lot in the organizations that I work with and in society at large, that some of the cool things aren't necessarily what you wear, but it's your attitude and it's what you care about.

So, I've quoted this to you before, I think, because I say it to myself, oh my gosh, all the time. But when my French teacher in high school, Dr. Rowland, said in French, beautifully, which I will not try to recreate, like, all of history is action and reaction. You know, this kind of pendulum swing from, you know, one thing is cool, now it's not.

Now it is. But I think there's something deep behind that, which is when you read me this list, like what's cool? Sustainability is cool. Social activism. Like, I wonder whether the reaction. So the reason why that's cool now is that there's this sense that we're in a purpose deficit. And I was speaking recently to the U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy.

who is definitely earnest. I don't know how cool he is, but we've talked about it on No Stupid Questions about his concern that there's a loneliness epidemic in the United States and globally. But what we were talking about recently was purpose. And he asked me about the psychology of purpose. And we talked about this category that includes being concerned about the climate, being concerned about social change and what

What I think this is a reaction to, this idea that it's cool now, is maybe that we have felt like we're not doing those things, right? Because I know that when I was growing up, what was cool was conspicuous consumption. Everybody was wearing designer jeans for the first time. And I literally had a neighbor who named his dog Mercedes so that he could call its name every morning.

And that was kind of cool then, I guess. I don't know if that was ever cool. Yeah, I was going to say, I'm going to go ahead with a strong no. I'm going to start giving a hard no on that. But, you know, if purpose is cool, all I can say is that I hope it stays cool. And maybe if you can't stay cool, maybe purpose could be iconic. Because to me, the need to be part of something larger than yourself and to be in service to

And now here's a fact check of today's conversation. Angela's daughter Amanda noted that the Adidas Samba trainer is quote-unquote "in."

However, the shoes were recently declared out across social media and a multitude of popular media outlets after UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was pictured wearing a pair of white sambas during a Downing Street video in which he was promoting his tax policies. British GQ senior style editor Murray Clark wrote, quote, Sunak took an eternally cool sneaker and ruined it for everyone. The Observer published a headline that read,

Adidas Sambas were this year's coolest shoes, until Rishi Sunak got a pair. The prime minister has since issued an apology. Later, Angela references a paper from a publication which she refers to as the American Journal of Marketing. It's actually simply the Journal of Marketing, published by the American Marketing Association.

Also, Mike says he can't remember the details of why the original Jordan shoe was banned for violating NBA rules.

In 1984, Nike produced the first Air Jordan sneaker for then-21-year-old Michael Jordan, who was in his rookie year with the Chicago Bulls. Jordan reportedly first wore the shoes on the court during a preseason game against the New York Knicks. The sneakers were primarily black and red, and therefore violated the NBA's 51% rule that required players' footwear to be mostly white.

Sneaker folklore and the 2023 movie Air suggest that Jordan was fined by the NBA for wearing the shoes and that Nike paid those fines on his behalf as a promotional maneuver. In fact, there's no evidence that Jordan ever wore red and black sneakers during a regular season game.

Finally, Mike is convinced that he used the term drip incorrectly. He was actually spot on. Drip, or drippin', is slang for stylish clothing and accessories. That's it for the Fact Check. Before we wrap today's show, let's hear some thoughts about last week's episode on lying to children.

Hi, this is Melissa from Virginia. When I was a kid, my dad was in the military, and so he would be gone for six to nine months at a time, often missing birthdays and holidays.

One year when I was probably seven or eight years old, I got this doll from my dad that I adored and it remained my very favorite Christmas present for my entire life. And one time I was telling the story to a bunch of people with my mom around and

And I was telling them about how great it was that my dad got me this doll, even though he was on an aircraft carrier. And it was so special because he was so far away. Well, my mom started laughing. And that's when she finally told me at the age of 25 that she's the one that bought it for me at the store and that there were no gift shops on aircraft carriers anymore.

So sometimes a lie might be okay. It was really fun to believe that for a while.

Hi Angela and Mike. One example from this week's episode that I particularly relate to was the one with the parent threatening to arrest their child. Whenever me and my brother fought, my mom would either threaten to call the police on herself to take her away from us or threaten to split me and my brother apart, taking one of us and leaving the country. Me and my brother fully believed her, not thinking that she was lying at all, and we realized later that it's maybe why we tend to feel overly guilty when conflict arises.

Hi, Mike and Angela. This is Lexi from Boston. In one of our childhood homes, my very observant seven-year-old sister noticed that the paint drips on one of our door frames were going up instead of down.

When she asked my dad why this might be, he told her that the doorframe must have been painted on Anti-Gravity Day, an event in which gravity stops working on Earth for one day. He explained that this happens every leap year and that we were too young to remember it happening in the past. So, as diligent little planners, we anticipated it happening in four years and developed strategic plans about how to bungee down our cars and swing set and make sure that the cats and dogs all stayed inside that day.

When leap year finally did roll around, we asked our dad if he knew the exact date on which we might expect anti-gravity day to fall. To which he responded, "Wait, you still believe in that?"

That was, respectively, Melissa Gillum, Crystal Chu, and Lexi Cole. Thanks to them and to everyone who shared their stories with us. And remember, we'd love to hear your thoughts on what it means to be cool. Send a voice memo to nsq at Freakonomics.com and you might hear your voice on the show.

Coming up next week on No Stupid Questions, what makes a good gathering? I don't want to have dinner with you for a long time. My butt hurts. That's next week on No Stupid Questions. No Stupid Questions is part of the Freakonomics Radio Network, which also includes Freakonomics Radio, People I Mostly Admire, and The Economics of Everyday Things. All our shows are produced by Stitcher and Runbud Radio.

The senior producer of the show is me, Rebecca Lee Douglas, and Lyric Bowditch is our production associate. This episode was mixed by Greg Griffin. We had research assistance from Daniel Moritz-Rapson. Our theme song was composed by Luis Guerra. You can follow us on Twitter at NSQ underscore show and on Facebook at NSQ show. If you have a question for a future episode, please email it to NSQ at Freakonomics.com.

To learn more or to read episode transcripts, visit Freakonomics.com slash NSQ. Thanks for listening. Well, your grandmother told you you're earnest. You know right there you're not cool. My mother. Oh, your mother told you you're earnest. You're definitely not cool. The Freakonomics Radio Network. The hidden side of everything. Stitcher.

Walmart has Straight Talk Wireless, so I can keep doing me. Like hitting up all my friends for a last-minute study sesh. Or curating the best pop playlists you've ever heard in your life. And even editing all my socials to keep up with what's new. Oh yeah, I look good. Post it. Which all in all suits my steady poppy main character vibes to a T. Period. Find and shop your fave tech at Walmart.

Every sandwich has bread. Every burger has a bun. But these warm, golden, smooth steamed buns? These are special. Reserved for the very best. The Filet-O-Fish. And you. You can have them too. For a limited time, the classic Filet-O-Fish you love is joining your McDonald's favorites on the 2 for $3.99 menu. Limited time only. Price and participation may vary. Cannot be combined with any other offer. Single item at regular price. Ba-da-ba-ba-ba.

Squeezing everything you want to do into one vacation can make even the most experienced travelers question their abilities. But when you travel with Amex Platinum and get room upgrades when available at fine hotels and resorts booked through Amex Travel, plus Resi Priority Notify for those hard-to-get tables, and Amex Card members can even access on-site experiences at select events, you realize that you've already done everything you planned to do. That's the powerful backing of American Express.

Terms apply. Learn how to get more out of your experiences at AmericanExpress.com slash with Amex.