The post below was originally written for subscribers to my personal newsletter who are less familiar with this project. It provides good context for you as well.
A New Lens on Human Nature
One of my dreams is to develop and share an idea that can’t be unseen. Once it is understood, it becomes a new lens for seeing the world from a different perspective. The most obvious example is Darwin’s theory of evolution. He provided humanity with a lens that explained the natural world. Everywhere you point that lens, the world looks different, and there is no going back to old ideas. You can't unsee it.
Of course, I’m no Darwin, but one can dream.
My area of interest is human nature. Despite mountains of research and experiments, large parts of the human experience remain a mystery. Psychology and Social Science have come a long way, but there are still gaps in our knowledge. I often return to the age-old question: Why are we the way we are?
I believe it’s possible to explain our differences and similarities from an original perspective you can’t find in textbooks or research papers. I have hunches and hypotheses that will take time to test and develop. If they bear fruit, I believe a new lens on human nature is possible. That's my goal.
The Project
You’ve seen me discuss the Vibes Project. It’s an effort to research, understand, and explain “vibes” like coolness and nerdiness. I know how that sounds. If someone told me they were studying coolness, I’d probably be skeptical or even dismissive. What is there to know, really?
There is a lot to know, we just haven’t been looking in the right places.
The Big Questions
We all know about coolness and nerdiness because they’re ubiquitous in our lives. We often think about ourselves, friends, family, and fictional characters in the context of coolness and nerdiness. We’re bombarded by ads and marketing that reinforce the idea that coolness can be purchased.
Popular culture has characterized coolness and nerdiness so often that the stereotypes seem to tell the whole story: The Fonz is cool, and nerds wear pocket protectors. These tropes have kernels of truth, but they are incomplete and reductive. We can do so much better.
If you strip away the stereotypes, what’s there? What is it about us, as humans, that relates to these vibes? Why do they have such a powerful influence on our culture? What roles do they play in how we see ourselves and connect with one another?
These are big questions without clear answers. I’ve read books and researched nerdiness and coolness as independent qualities, but I haven’t found analyses of them as part of the same social spectrum. By looking at them together as “vibes” that everyone experiences, I believe we can understand them with more accuracy and empathy.
In this phase of the Vibes Project, I’m laying the groundwork for bigger ideas. I'm outlining sets of human qualities that represent new perspectives on coolness and nerdiness.
The Roots of Cool Series
I recently completed a series of five posts on The Roots of Cool. I looked back hundreds of years across Europe, West Africa, and the melting pot of the New World, to find the origins of what we now consider personal “coolness.” The qualities I found are:
Composure - A calm and steady demeanor, even under pressure. Detached confidence.
Awareness - Social grace and effortless style. Awareness and engagement in popular culture.
Rebellion - A willingness to defy norms and break away from mainstream expectations.
Authenticity - A dedication to being true to one’s self in all things
This helps answer the question: When someone is considered cool, what qualities are present?
Classic Coolness
Think about classic examples of “cool” like Miles Davis, Steve McQueen, and Dean Martin. What qualities do they share? While it’s difficult to know them at a deep level, it’s generally agreed that they were composed and confident. They had social grace and effortlessly engaged in culture. They rebelled against traditional ideas and norms. They expressed their true selves.
While this list may be incomplete, it provides a lens for thinking about coolness outside the stereotypes. With these qualities in place, we can consider virtually any person or character and why they are the way they are.
The Vibes Lens
Experiment with me. Apply the Vibes lens to your life for a couple of days. Think about coolness as a human quality. Notice people who seem cool or not. When you do, think about the qualities above and to what degree they exhibit them. You might discover a new way to think about yourself and others. Perhaps you won’t be able to unsee it.
Coming Soon
I’m working on Series 2 right now, which will explain the qualities of nerdiness. It will go in directions that you do not expect.
If this idea interests you, the Vibes Project newsletter is free and the best way to follow along. If you know someone who would find this interesting, forward this email.