When I first came up with the idea of doing this blog, I was excited about it and thought it was a cool idea. Now that I've been doing it a while, I've decided that cool really isn't the right word to describe it. In fact, I don't think selfless giving as a concept on its own is considered all that "cool" in western culture at all. This actually made me a little sad, thinking about all the unsung heroes who give of themselves without thought of return, who may be appreciated in concept but, unless they've received awards or other high forms of recognition for their efforts, aren't necessarily looked up to as an example. People in our culture, for the most part, don't look at these people and wish they were like them.
To understand why selfless giving isn't cool, we have to understand what "cool" is, so here are a list of attributes that I think fit the generally accepted definition:
1. Success.?This can be actual success, but often the perception of it is enough for many people. Gaining recognition of one's success helps define one's cool factor through things like competition results, accreditation, awards, accolades, etc.
2. Power.?Power can be achieved in a variety of ways, intellectual, physical, financial, etc, but it's basically the power you have to manipulate yourself and/or the world around you. Physical power is usually defined by body strength, mastery over one's body (i.e. keeping fit, looking good), performing physical feats (usually through some form of sport), etc. Extreme sports like sky diving, mountain climbing, scuba diving are often seen as having extra cool factor due to the self-mastery required to conquer natural fears. Intellectual power is generally defined by problem solving, debate, humour, either in day-to-day life or in one's career. Financial power is pretty much one's spending power, but often the perception of it is enough (i.e. owning expensive things, living in a well-to-do neighbourhood, etc.)
3. Influence.?This often comes with power, but not necessarily. This is one's ability to influence other people's actions, behaviours, choices, lives, etc. One may have this influence because they're famous (whether it's for acting, writing, music, etc), or they could simply be involved in shaping policy at a high level (i.e. people in positions of power in government, big corporations, etc.)
4. Individuality. ?A big part of being "cool" comes from the idea of being different, of being a trail-blazer that goes against established society norms, not caring about what other people think. This is why self-serving rogue movie characters like Tony Stark from Iron Man, Captain Kirk from Star Trek, or Han Solo from Star Wars are considered so cool. They play by their own rules and act like they don't give a shit what other people think (even though they do). It's also part of the reason why being a free-wheeling bachelor is considered cooler than a settled family life with spouse and children.
Selfless Givers that Don't Get "Cool" Cred
When you look at the above list of cool factors, it's not hard to see why some of the most important selfless givers in our communities get the least recognition. I don't think stay-at-home parents who give up on personal careers in order to provide for their spouse and children have ever been considered "cool" despite the fact that they have a strong influence on their children's lives. People who do volunteer work, giving up their time to serve the needs of other people and their planet, are also rarely considered cool unless they do so in a very public way that earns them some sort of recognition.
People who give up personal luxuries and indulgences to help their communities or their planet are also rarely considered cool and are even made the butt end of jokes as I've discovered after I shared information about supporting Meatless Mondays earlier this week. A friend of mine who is one of my followers responded by saying "That's one petition I absolutely will NOT support!" I tried to explain the reasoning behind it by sharing info about the cause thinking that he just didn't realize the motivation behind it, but he responded by saying "My computer refuses to resolve that link. Every time I click all it does is a bunch of popups of bacon and juicy filet mignon." Personal sacrifice is just not as cool as personal indulgence in western culture, so I guess it made me an easy target.?I know he was just trying to be funny and clever, and he probably doesn't fundamentally have anything against the cause, but it did make me a little sad that my honest efforts to give to the world were nothing more to him than the subject of fun.
Selfless Givers Who Give Back through the Fruits of their Personal Successees
While selfless giving on its own is rarely enough to make one "cool" there are ones who manage to do it. Some manage it by being a success in their field then using their success to help other people. Bill Gates achieved great success and power in the computer industry and now uses his money and influence to help change the planet for the better. Gates studied the work of?Andrew Carnegie?and?John D. Rockefeller, and in 1994 sold some of his Microsoft stock to create the William H. Gates Foundation. In 2000, Gates and his wife combined three family foundations into one to create the charitable?Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which is the largest transparently operated charitable foundation in the world.?Oprah Winfrey is another great example of someone who achieved success in her field as an actor and talk show host, who then used her show to help promote literature, self-improvement and spirituality. She is also well-known for her philanthropic efforts, having?created the?Oprah's Angel Network?in 1998,?a charity that supported charitable projects and provided grants to nonprofit organizations around the world.
There are also lots of actors, musicians, sports stars, business leaders, etc who use their success to give back to the world. Actor Richard Gere created the Gere Foundation that?awards grants to groups that are dedicated to the cultural preservation of Tibet and the Tibetan people; dedicated to providing HIV/AIDS care, research and treatment and to those organizations addressing human rights violations throughout the world. Musician Sarah McLahlan is known for speaking and singing in videos and concerts, as well as providing financial support for?a wide variety of charities. Hockey Hall-of-Famer Wayne Gretzky is well-known for his visits to children's hospitals, and he also set up the Gretzky Foundation?to help teach underpriveledged youth important life skills through sport, in addition to providing financial and other support for a variety of charities.
Selfless Givers Who Manage to Be "Cool" for their Efforts
And then there are those who do something even more impressive, they manage to be "cool" because of their giving. The 14th Dalai Lama is pretty damn cool. He is both charismatic and intelligent and has fought the good fight for the rights of the people of Tibet. Unsurprisingly, he was named as being one of the most influential spiritual leaders of 2011. It's no wonder, with all books he's written and talks he's given all over the world, spreading the message of peace, urging people to take action to help the environment, and encouraging open-mindedness and equal rights. He also won the 1989 Nobel Peace Prize.
David Suzuki?is another example of someone who came to be considered cool for his tireless efforts as an environmental activist.?A long-time activist to reverse global?climate change, Suzuki co-founded the?David Suzuki Foundation?in 1990, with the goal of finding ways for society to live in balance with the natural world that sustains us. He also served as a director of the?Canadian Civil Liberties Association?from 1982-1987. A charismatic speaker,?Suzuki has been in the limelight for many years for his efforts to share his knowledge, having been the host of the popular show 'The Nature of Things.' Suzuki has received numerous awards and accolades paying homage to his efforts, from the Award of Canada to the?Honorary Right Livelihood Award.
Both the Dalai Lama and David Suzuki are?smart, successful, widely respected, famous, highly influential, and are willing to stand up for what they believe in, even against powerful forces like oil companies or the Republic of China. If these guys aren't cool, I don't know what is.
Re-evaluating the Importance of "Cool"
It would be nice if everyone thought that being positive and kind as much as possible, helping people in need,?being environmentally friendly, and giving back to one's community were cool on their own, but I don't see that happening at this point in history in western society. Ultimately, it doesn't matter though if you give for the sake of giving, knowing that you're positively impacting other people, your community and your planet. The reward is in the act. Being considered "cool" by current standards doesn't have to be looked down on for its superficial nature. It can be used to increase one's positive impact on the world like the individuals cited above have done. Trying to be cool or being ambitious for the sake of achieving the factors that make one cool is pointless though. Do what you love and give by doing it or through the rewards that doing it brings. Try to touch people's lives positively however you can. That's the ultimate cool in my book.
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