"We're cool!"

[adhoc]

Are we, really?

I think fountain pen enthusiasts are thoroughly uncool. I consider myself one through and through, of course. That makes me uncool, and I'm completely fine with that.

I once told my wife she's thoroughly uncool, and she took it almost as an offense. Her hobbies are...knitting, fountain pens, and making herbariums. Not that cool for a 30 year old person, I think. Not that I'm any better - I collect fountain pens and mechanical keyboards; for some reason, both of them write words.

What do you think? Are we cool, are we uncool, or are we above the petty mortal issues such as dealing with others perception of us?

[usk15]

I think "cool" is such a personal choise. I'm not cool into others eyes, but I DON'T care too! I'm perfectly fine with my hobbies and my life, I don't need others apreciation about me and my life.

[adhoc]

I think "cool" is such a personal choise. I'm not cool into others eyes, but I DON'T care too! I'm perfectly fine with my hobbies and my life, I don't need others apreciation about me and my life.

Right! That’s how I look at it too. But I read the “we’re cool!” at the title banner of this website every time I open it and I always think to myself...I’m not cool, but I don’t care about it either.

[calamus]

I find the whole concept of coolness ridiculous. It's a puerile, superficial assessment.

[carlos.q]

I find the whole concept of coolness ridiculous. It's a puerile, superficial assessment.

I'm cool with that. :wink:

[Empty_of_Clouds]

Most people seek social validation in one form or another, whether they recognise this or not. It is the extent and fervour of that seeking which gives cause for concern in our current time. The internet is a supreme tool for creating pigeonholes, and encouraging people to inhabit them. Scary.

[azkid]

Cool is in the eye of the beholder if you ask me. But sure, OK, most folks aren't going to say I am cool. I'm a nerd, a little odd maybe, always have been. I've come to terms with it, accepted myself, and all that. Cool isn't the best thing to be anyway so it's OK.

Plus I have reached that point in middle age where I don't really care too much what everyone thinks. And I care a lot more about what my friends and family think.

I agree that we all seek some acceptance and validation. It is in human nature. To that end, I enjoy the company of pen geeks, which is why I'm here. I appreciate feedback, comments, and discussions with you all. Which is why I like it here way more than other places.

[fqgouvea]

I am very cool. At least in the (Maine) winter.

[catbert]

Being at ease with oneself in a way that transcends the opinions of others is proably part of it. No reason that shouldn't involve enjoying a nice pen.

That said, isn't it uncool to assert one's own coolness?

[mulrich]

My office is going through annual maintenance on the HVAC system so the temperature in my office is hovering around 60° F which is very cool (I brought in a heater yesterday and got the temperature up to 65° which is still pretty cool).

I don't think I'd consider myself socially 'cool' by many standards. Fortunately my kids all seem to like me and my wife puts up with me and those are the opinions I care most about.

[penwash]

Are we, really?

I think fountain pen enthusiasts are thoroughly uncool. I consider myself one through and through, of course. That makes me uncool, and I'm completely fine with that.

I once told my wife she's thoroughly uncool, and she took it almost as an offense. Her hobbies are...knitting, fountain pens, and making herbariums. Not that cool for a 30 year old person, I think. Not that I'm any better - I collect fountain pens and mechanical keyboards; for some reason, both of them write words.

What do you think? Are we cool, are we uncool, or are we above the petty mortal issues such as dealing with others perception of us?

Based on that description above, I think both your wife and you, are cool. :)

[Paddler]

My office is going through annual maintenance on the HVAC system so the temperature in my office is hovering around 60° F which is very cool (I brought in a heater yesterday and got the temperature up to 65° which is still pretty cool).

I don't think I'd consider myself socially 'cool' by many standards. Fortunately my kids all seem to like me and my wife puts up with me and those are the opinions I care most about.

We keep our home thermostat set at 57 degrees F. Our air conditioner is an oak tree on the east side of the house and a maple tree on the west side. 60 degrees? Yer breakin' my heart.

[Deb]

I'm not cool. I have never been cool. Indeed, I reject the foolish concept of cool.

[fountainpagan]

I'm not cool. I have never been cool. Indeed, I reject the foolish concept of cool.

:amen:

I have never cared about what others think of me, my important ones excluded, and I still do not. I have always been odd, to others, but that never bothered me because I had love and acceptance from the ones I cared about.

Conclusion, I am not cool, or fashion slave, and never have been. :)

But I am cool about other's need to be :cool:

[Paddler]

How does "cool" differ from "neat" and "boss"?

[AzJon]

I always assumed it was either a bit tongue-in-cheek or said ironically. Lets be real, it was to separate ourselves from those stick-in-the-mud at that other place.

[Deb]

I always assumed it was either a bit tongue-in-cheek or said ironically. Lets be real, it was to separate ourselves from those stick-in-the-mud at that other place.

Oh well, in that case...

[AzJon]

I certainly could be wrong about that, but when I was a kid in the highschool band, and therefore a "band geek", we were acutely aware that we were not, in fact "cool" by societal definition. We would say that we are very cool, despite our not being very cool.

I will say though, Deb, I find your rejection of the concept to be very cool in a counterculture kind of way. ;)

[Chrissy]

I'm definitely with Deb in not wanting to be, nor even being cool. :)

[Deb]

I will say though, Deb, I find your rejection of the concept to be very cool in a counterculture kind of way. ;)

That's very uncool of you.

[catbert]

"Coolness is a nonconformist balance that manages to square circles and to personify paradoxes."

"Going with the masses is as uncool as being overly eccentric."

"In a phrase: the cool person lives in a constant state of alienation."

From 'What Does It Mean To Be Cool?' https://philosophynow.org/issues/80/What_Does_It_Mean_To_Be_Cool

---

Is it possible to have the symptoms but not the condition?

[SIR]

Relative to the 'other' forum, fpgeeks.com is definitely 'cool'... depending on one's own definition, of course.

;)

[Chrissy]

Relative to the 'other' forum, fpgeeks.com is definitely 'cool'... depending on one's own definition, of course.

;)
Relative to the 'other forum' most places are 'cool'.... :)

[Bzzer]

How does "cool" differ from "neat" and "boss"?


...and fancy, really want to be fancy.

[Paddler]

And then there is "bitchin" and "rad".

[SIR]

oh, the study of slang... i would really like for someone to compile a history of slang in every language!

[AzJon]

And then there is "bitchin" and "rad".

Noooowwww we're speaking my generation.

[azkid]

Totally tubular!

[penwash]

Totally tubular!

Gnarly!

[Scrawler]

The only people who have ever called me "cool" were my daughters friends. The fact that I have pens is apparently only one of the factors in their perception.

[Linger]

Well, one of the elements of being cool is not to mention it about oneself. And definitively not use an exclamation mark. Otherwise one proves the opposite. So mission accomplished?

[adhoc]

Well, one of the elements of being cool is not to mention it about oneself. And definitively not use an exclamation mark. Otherwise one proves the opposite. So mission accomplished?

I'm not sure if you know this is in the top banner of this forum and there's a reason the title of the thread is in quotation marks...

https://i.imgur.com/asxQghm.png

[Linger]

Oops. I created controversy. That is not cool.

[Scrawler]

Oops. I created controversy. That is not cool.

:applause: :tea:

[fountainpenkid]

Most people seek social validation in one form or another, whether they recognise this or not. It is the extent and fervour of that seeking which gives cause for concern in our current time. The internet is a supreme tool for creating pigeonholes, and encouraging people to inhabit them. Scary.

So then it's "we make ourselves feel cool!" ;)

I like others have always thought it was tongue-in-cheek. It was probably hilarious to Eric (or Dan?) at the time.

The question of coolness might be more relevant to me (a recent undergrad student) than some of the older members here. It's funny. I used to be mortified when people would ask me about why I used fountain pens, how many I had, etc etc. I sensed they were singling me out (could I say othering?) and my teenage brain wanted to fit in. Then when I got to college there were professors that used them (and a few students!) and people seemed to take a genuine, non-judgemental curiosity in my life as it pertained to that question. So I opened up and geeked out. It's more fun that way!