I stole my title from The Social Network, but I was wondering, what is cool? I've received "interesting" and "funny" responses to my blog, but no cool. Maybe blogging about video games and google isn't cool, so let me put on my shades, turn up the jazz, pour myself a glass of Absinthe and explore cool, man.
Why is a billion dollars cool? Money's not cool at all... And it becomes even less cool when it is apparent. When an artist makes money he becomes uncool, doesn't he? The bohemian artist and all that he embodies is cool until he finds financial success and its trappings at which point he becomes instantly uncool. The bohemian creates for the sake of creation, and his inspiration inspires us, while the artist who creates for commission is inspired by the motivation of his own reward, and in so is self-absorbed and greedy. So you'd think a billion dollars isn't cool, but you'd be wrong.
What is a million dollars? It's the alpha male roaring up to the club in his Lamborghini. He's cocky. He's got a pocket full of money, his choice of women and he doesn't afraid of anything. He is the master of his universe, and he thinks he is cool. But he's not. He's not cool. He's a tool! At the end of the day, the only thing he's proven is that his worth is measured by the length of his tab.
So, what is a billion dollars? A billion dollars doesn't have anything to prove. A billion dollars is the quiet man sitting alone in the crowd at The Spotted Cat, listening to the Jazz Vipers. He's happy there, and he is doing what he wants to be doing. He is not putting on airs or impressing anyone. He is content just being. Being... cool!
So, a billion dollars is cool because it doesn't have to be anything else. It can just be. And so is the starving artist, confident and content. He's not chasing success because he is success. He doesn't have a billion dollars. He is a billion dollars, and THAT's cool.
Now THAT'S cool!
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