The Tyranny of the “Cool”

It amazes me how people (myself included) can use practically anything to make themselves seem better than others. We will take our preference in clothing, in music, in movies, in hangout places, in hairstyles, in game consoles, in practically anything under the sun and turn it into a reason to think ourselves superior. In fact, it seems like in the language of young people, we’ve come up with a word to do precisely that: “cool”.

The word “cool” is meant to distinguish between things that are acceptable and things that are not. It distinguishes between the things that are to be enjoyed and the things that are to be shunned. And eventually, the word distinguishes between the people who are in and the people who are out.

But soon enough, “cool” turns on us. All of a sudden, the things that were once considered “cool” are now thrown in the category of lame or old or passe. Furthermore, the “cool” divide keeps us from admitting that we enjoy certain things that fall outside of the permissible zone. Worse still, we are kept from enjoying relationships with people simply because they find themselves outside of the imaginary boundary erected by what’s “cool”.

Personally, I’m tired of it.

I think what’s really needed is for us to learn to “Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.” (Phil 2:3) and for us to “look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” (Phil 2:4) How freeing would it be to no longer be the music nazis, the clothes nazis, the film nazis, the hangout nazis, etc. that culture tries to make us and instead, be the loving, humble servants that Jesus wants us to be!  I pray that God would free me and this generation from the tyranny of the “cool”, and instead, help us have the attitude of Christ!

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