Why It’s Not Necessary To Try Hard To Look Cool

From personal experience, I can tell you that nothing will get you into more trouble than trying to look “cool”.

However, it is worth mentioning that there is a type of cool that is worth striving for. “Cool” doesn’t always have to be flashy, impressive, and noteworthy. Sometimes the most cool people are actually those that are kind, genuine, and compassionate.

I remember back when I was a kid this was always something that would come up at the start of a new school year. On the first day of school we would all walk through the halls and ask each other “How is the World History teacher? Is he cool?”. Or even when a substitute would fill in for the day, friends from a different period would catch up and say “You guys are going to have an easy day today. The sub for Spanish class is really cool”.

Being cool didn’t mean that the teacher was inked up with tattoos and had a Lamborghini parked out in the school parking lot. In most cases, it just meant that they were pleasant to be around.

Sadly, it seems like cool people are harder to find these days. More and more people are concerned with fitting in with rather than just being authentic.

In this article I am going to take more of a look at that.

Do You

Back when I was a kid I was blessed to have some very grounded and down to Earth friends.

I remember one day in particular bike riding through the neighborhood on the way to go fishing when I made a comment to my friend about how raggedy we probably looked to the cars that were passing by. “That’s alright, we’re not trying to impress anybody” he said.

Another time I made a comment to a different close friend about how he needed to shave the cowlick off the front of his hairdo. He just responded “I don’t care what I look like”. As a third grader I remember thinking to myself “Man, this dude is pretty G“.

When you start aligning your actions with how you want others to perceive you, rather than doing what you actually want to do, that’s where you start to get yourself into trouble. That’s where you start attracting the wrong types of people, and the wrong kinds of situations.

When you just focus on doing you, regardless of how pretty or not pretty it looks, that’s typically where things start to become more enjoyable. That’s where you start taking true satisfaction in your actions, and manifesting the sorts of situations you actually want in life.

Make It Cool

Regardless of what your position is in life, there is always going to be a way to make it look good.

This is something that can become illustrated through all types of life situations. There have even been folks that have served decade long prison sentences that were able to make life behind bars look good. These folks wrote books, created music, reached new fitness goals, learned new skills, and so on.

Regardless of how much money you have, how popular you are, or even what you look like, these principles will always remain. There will always be a way to make what you have look good.

In some cases, less can actually be more. Some people are exceptionally talented at making a little look like a lot. Sometimes, they may even have it better than those who have much more.

It just shows that sometimes it’s not about what you have, but what you are able to do with it.

Don’t Worry About Other People

Over the years I have received significant criticism over how little I care about looking cool.

There have been so many instances where I have walked away from what looked like a prestigious job with good benefits, or even a group of friends with the most popular image, just because it wasn’t really what I wanted at that time.

There have also been instances where I have willingly taken on low-paying jobs or modest housing setups, and done so with no reservations.

Throughout these various decisions, I have heard every slander in the book. I have had friends turn their back on me. I have had family express disapproval. To this day I wouldn’t change a thing.

The bottom line is that I focus on doing what I want to do. I’m not worried about impressing other people.

Stop Trying To Look Cool

If you’re reading this article, my hope is that you will get to the point where you realize that looking cool doesn’t really matter, and focus more on the things that will actually have a positive impact on your life.

Does this mean that you have to relinquish everything you own and live out of a tent? No. That would probably be more foolish than trying to look cool.

But, as you become more self-aware, and less worried about other people, you will naturally find the right balance.

Once you get to that point being cool will be second nature rather than something you have to force or get others to buy in to. As you become more grounded, confidence and satisfaction will naturally follow.

Thank You For Reading

As always, I want to give a big thank you to anyone who has taken the time to read this article. I hope you have enjoyed, and I look forward to seeing you on the next one!