--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Don’t be cool. Cool is conservative fear…" description: "\"Don’t be cool. Cool is conservative fear dressed in black.\" — Bruce Mau" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e60/bruce-mau-23828_being-cool_don-t-be-cool-cool-is-conservative-fear_2699784.png" --- # Don’t be cool. Cool is conservative fear dressed in black. ![“Don’t be cool. Cool is conservative fear dressed in black.” quote by Bruce Mau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e60/bruce-mau-23828_being-cool_don-t-be-cool-cool-is-conservative-fear_2699784.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e60/bruce-mau-23828_being-cool_don-t-be-cool-cool-is-conservative-fear_2699784.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e60/bruce-mau-23828_being-cool_don-t-be-cool-cool-is-conservative-fear_2699784.png) > “Don’t be cool. Cool is conservative fear dressed in black.” [Bruce Mau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-mau/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Coolness is a façade for fear, masking conformity under a trendy veneer. **In simple terms:** Cool = fear in disguise. Key Takeaway Question superficial trends. Themes culture fear conformity Mood skeptical insightful Type critical philosophical When to use this quote - branding - personal expression - social media Key Concepts sociology design theory Questions to Reflect On - Why do we seek “cool”? - How can authenticity replace it? A Different Perspective Rejecting “cool” may isolate you socially. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Conservative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conservative/) [Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) ## Related quotes > [I hate the idea of sheltering kids from challenging books. It's just another form of conservative fear that promotes ignorance more than anything else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-rapp/i-hate-the-idea-of-sheltering-kids-from-challenging-books-it-s-just/) [Adam Rapp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-rapp/) > [I'm pretty tall, and I'm always dressed in black.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-hellmuth/i-m-pretty-tall-and-i-m-always-dressed-in-black/) [Phil Hellmuth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-hellmuth/) > [“He molded himself next to me in my bed; he was dressed in black like some ‘summer’ Ninja; black wife beater shirt; black jeans…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrea-smith/he-molded-himself-next-to-me-in-my-bed-he-was-dressed-in-black-like/) [Andrea Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrea-smith/) > [No one on the street thought anything of the downtown girl dressed in black who had paused in the middle of midtown foot traffic.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-sebold/no-one-on-the-street-thought-anything-of-the-downtown-girl-dressed-in/) [Alice Sebold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-sebold/) > [“Dressed in his black leather jacket and black leather pants, his eyes hidden behind dark sunglasses, his face shadowed with stubble, he stepped into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pamela-clare/dressed-in-his-black-leather-jacket-and-black-leather-pants-his-eyes/) [Pamela Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pamela-clare/) > [I dressed all in black and went to see all the top photographers, like Irving Penn, and said, 'I am Veruschka who comes from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veruschka-von-lehndorff/i-dressed-all-in-black-and-went-to-see-all-the-top-photographers-like/) [Veruschka von Lehndorff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veruschka-von-lehndorff/) > [I love that ageing rocker look, dressed in black and looking like you slept in your make-up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claudia-winkleman/i-love-that-ageing-rocker-look-dressed-in-black-and-looking-like-you/) [Claudia Winkleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claudia-winkleman/) > [“...in other spheres of Victorian Society the appeal of a young woman dressed in black from head to toe was acknowledged. In Victorian popular…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catharine-arnold/in-other-spheres-of-victorian-society-the-appeal-of-a-young-woman/) [Catharine Arnold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catharine-arnold/) > [I wish I was a woman of about thirty-six dressed in black satin with a string of pearls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daphne-du-maurier/i-wish-i-was-a-woman-of-about-thirty-six-dressed-in-black-satin-with/) [Daphne du Maurier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daphne-du-maurier/) > [“The sound of a boot heel striking her hardwood floor. The darkness coalesced, gained an outline. A tall, broad-shouldered figure dressed in black stepped…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-marie-rice/the-sound-of-a-boot-heel-striking-her-hardwood-floor-the-darkness/) [Lisa Marie Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-marie-rice/) > [“Nicholas, dressed in black and trailing them like a sinister storm cloud, had a dry little preoccupied smile.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-wells/nicholas-dressed-in-black-and-trailing-them-like-a-sinister-storm/) [Martha Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-wells/) > [“Agent Vail. I’m in position, thirty feet from the bank’s entrance. I’ve got a visual on three well-armed men dressed in black clothing, wearing”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-jacobson/agent-vail-i-m-in-position-thirty-feet-from-the-bank-s-entrance-i-ve/) [Alan Jacobson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-jacobson/) > [“I saw Guardiola as a mystical type of person. The way he dressed – always in black – he was sometimes very quiet, constantly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guillem-balague/i-saw-guardiola-as-a-mystical-type-of-person-the-way-he-dressed/) [Guillem Balague](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guillem-balague/) > [Miracles can happen, even to those who are small, flammable, and dressed all in black.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/miracles-can-happen-even-to-those-who-are-small-flammable-and-dressed/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Ranger was waiting. He was dressed in black slacks, a form-fitting black T-shirt, and a black blazer.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-evanovich/ranger-was-waiting-he-was-dressed-in-black-slacks-a-form-fitting/) [Janet Evanovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-evanovich/) ## More by Bruce Mau > [What is the focus of the new image infrastructure? Attention. It's all designed for capturing, tracking, quantifying, manipulating, holding, buying, selling and controlling attention.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-mau/what-is-the-focus-of-the-new-image-infrastructure-attention-it-s-all/) [Bruce Mau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-mau/) > [The fundamental idea of design is to make the world a better place.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-mau/the-fundamental-idea-of-design-is-to-make-the-world-a-better-place/) [Bruce Mau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-mau/) > [The word ‘studio’ is derives from ‘study’. Our object is not to know the answers before we do the work. It’s to know them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-mau/the-word-studio-is-derives-from-study-our-object-is-not-to-know-the/) [Bruce Mau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-mau/) > [To invent something you have to be removed from the world. In order to have liberty to imagine something better, you need to step…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-mau/to-invent-something-you-have-to-be-removed-from-the-world-in-order-to/) [Bruce Mau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-mau/) > [For me, sensibility is the location of talent. Sensibility comes first because only with the right kind of sensibility is talent useful. I've met…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-mau/for-me-sensibility-is-the-location-of-talent-sensibility-comes-first/) [Bruce Mau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-mau/) > [When the outcome drives the process we will only ever go where we've already been. If process drives the outcome we may not know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-mau/when-the-outcome-drives-the-process-we-will-only-ever-go-where-we-ve/) [Bruce Mau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-mau/) > [Most of the time, we live our lives within these invisible systems, blissfully unaware of the artificial life, the intensely designed infrastructures that support…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-mau/most-of-the-time-we-live-our-lives-within-these-invisible-systems/) [Bruce Mau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-mau/) > [When everything is connected to everything else, for better or for worse, everything matters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-mau/when-everything-is-connected-to-everything-else-for-better-or-for/) [Bruce Mau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-mau/) > [The wrong answer is the right answer in search of a different question.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-mau/the-wrong-answer-is-the-right-answer-in-search-of-a-different-question/) [Bruce Mau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-mau/) > [No longer associated simply with objects and appearances, design is increasingly understood in a much wider sense as the human capacity to plan and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-mau/no-longer-associated-simply-with-objects-and-appearances-design-is/) [Bruce Mau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-mau/) > [You have to be willing to grow. Growth is different from something that happens to you. You produce it. You live it. The prerequisites…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-mau/you-have-to-be-willing-to-grow-growth-is-different-from-something/) [Bruce Mau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-mau/) > [The deeper you go the more likely you will discover something of value](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-mau/the-deeper-you-go-the-more-likely-you-will-discover-something-of-value/) [Bruce Mau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-mau/) > [Forget about good. Good is a known quantity. Good is what we all agree on. As long as you stick to good, you'll never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-mau/forget-about-good-good-is-a-known-quantity-good-is-what-we-all-agree/) [Bruce Mau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-mau/) > [“Love your experiments (as you would an ugly child). Exploit the liberty in casting your work as beautiful experiments, iterations, attempts, trials, and errors.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-mau/love-your-experiments-as-you-would-an-ugly-child-exploit-the-liberty/) [Bruce Mau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-mau/) > [Imitate. Don’t be shy about it. Try to get as close as you can. You'll never get all the way, and the separation might…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-mau/imitate-don-t-be-shy-about-it-try-to-get-as-close-as-you-can-you-ll/) [Bruce Mau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-mau/) [Explore all 25 Bruce Mau quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-mau/) ## More Being cool quotes > [I'm a big fan of all the Boston guys that are acting - Matt Damon , Ben Affleck, Mark Wahlberg - they made a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-wormald/i-m-a-big-fan-of-all-the-boston-guys-that-are-acting-matt-damon-ben/) [Kenny Wormald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-wormald/) > [Yes yes you can count on me - Fingers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikhil-saluja/yes-yes-you-can-count-on-me-fingers/) [Nikhil Saluja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikhil-saluja/) > [I have that need in me, I want everyone to love me, but I'm embarrassed by that need, so I wanted to cover it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-jeselnik/i-have-that-need-in-me-i-want-everyone-to-love-me-but-i-m-embarrassed/) [Anthony Jeselnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-jeselnik/) > [Come at me bro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/come-at-me-bro/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Men and women shop differently. Men know what they want before they see it. Women don't know what they want until they see it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikhil-saluja/men-and-women-shop-differently-men-know-what-they-want-before-they/) [Nikhil Saluja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikhil-saluja/) > [You are the love of my twitter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikhil-saluja/you-are-the-love-of-my-twitter/) [Nikhil Saluja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikhil-saluja/) > [A girl asks you what you need. The woman knows and gives you what you want.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikhil-saluja/a-girl-asks-you-what-you-need-the-woman-knows-and-gives-you-what-you/) [Nikhil Saluja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikhil-saluja/) > [We should be recklessly abandoned to Jesus, and just turn it over to Him. Through the support I think the sacrifices will be made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacie-orrico/we-should-be-recklessly-abandoned-to-jesus-and-just-turn-it-over-to/) [Stacie Orrico](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacie-orrico/) > [Manchester has a certain reputation of being cool.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-lowe/manchester-has-a-certain-reputation-of-being-cool/) [Alice Lowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-lowe/) > [The messaging campaign that stigmatized the term feminist definitely worked on me when I was a teenager. I always believed in equality, but there's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lindy-west/the-messaging-campaign-that-stigmatized-the-term-feminist-definitely/) [Lindy West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lindy-west/) > [Trying to be cool is the easiest path to mediocrity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-crews/trying-to-be-cool-is-the-easiest-path-to-mediocrity/) [Terry Crews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-crews/) > [Being cool, is not trying to be cool.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/being-cool-is-not-trying-to-be-cool/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [My friend said he didn't have time for Twitter like me, he has a job I replied shut the fuck up & lend me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikhil-saluja/my-friend-said-he-didn-t-have-time-for-twitter-like-me-he-has-a-job-i/) [Nikhil Saluja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikhil-saluja/) > [I like my beer as I like my beer. Beer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikhil-saluja/i-like-my-beer-as-i-like-my-beer-beer/) [Nikhil Saluja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikhil-saluja/) > [HUSBAND, PERFECT, is, in a man's second marriage, her first mate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikhil-saluja/husband-perfect-is-in-a-man-s-second-marriage-her-first-mate/) [Nikhil Saluja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikhil-saluja/) Browse all 688 Being cool quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Don’t be cool. 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