Dang, Grandpa was hip.

I'm Angela Duckworth.

I'm Mike Mann, and you're listening to no stupid questions.

Today on the show, what does it mean to be cool?

I've never really cared about trying to be cool, but maybe that's just because I felt like it was a

hopeless battle for me. Mike, we have the best email ever from Anonymous.

Well, that is a very high bar, Dr Duckworth. It's a cool email. I'm going to read it to you.

Hi Mike and Angela, lately I've been thinking about what it means to be quote unquote cool.

Oh, okay I get it. Right? People who have historically been labeled as cool

often seem to be caustic, edgy, and anti-authoritarian.

Punk rockers and James Dean in Rebel Without a Cause immediately come to mind for me.

Things that are considered cool are often exclusive and elusive.

Fancy nightclubs, VIP rooms, designer clothing.

Why are these idolized instead of traits like earnestness and things that are more accessible?

For example, in this part, I'm not sure I agree with Anonymous, why is Riana cool and Taylor Swift isn't?

Oh, what? Those are fighting words.

No wonder they typed in anonymous. The Swifties would rally. Exactly. But this one I kind of have to agree

the why is Gucci cool but Walmart isn't and why do I care? Thanks anonymous.

Okay let me just say first and foremost, my mother once picked one word to describe me and it was earnest.

Which anonymous just said is definitely not cool.

Okay, Mike, if there were one word to describe my husband Jason,

it would be earnest.

...