Question: Why do we perceive certain people as 'cool'.

Keith Siew answered on 25 Jun 2013:

We’re social creatures… our evolutionary path has led to us relying heavily on one another for resources and complex communications… which has led to culture development and social structure.

Whether we like it or not… our societies and the social structures of other species have hierarchies! A top to bottom pyramid of dominance… As a results “popularity” can play a big part in social interactions… as the person is perceived to have “social standing” and “desirable traits” so by being associated with them and in good favour you therefore increase your own social status. So if we’re boiling it down to biological reasons… I’d say being “cool” is a way of identifying those who have a quality about them that others like and gravitate towards because on some unconscious level being associated with that person gives you higher status… It’s the same reason why the “cool kids” don’t want to hang out with the “losers” because they fear it would lessen their status… it happens in nature all around us… but to be honest what I’m giving here is probably a gross simplification of a very complex social tool!

But hopefully that gives you something to think about!