What makes someone cool? According to new research from the American Psychological Association, the answer is surprisingly consistent across cultures. A study involving nearly 6 000 people in 13 countries found that the same six traits define coolness almost everywhere.

Participants from countries as different as South Africa, Japan, Mexico, and Germany described cool people as adventurous, outgoing, and self-directed. The researchers wrote that: “cool individuals were rated as more extraverted, hedonistic, powerful, adventurous, open and autonomous.” Those traits form a personality profile that cuts across national boundaries.

Interestingly, the study found that being cool is not the same as being good. When asked to think of people they considered “good,” participants tended to highlight kindness, honesty, and calmness. Cool people, by contrast, were admired for their energy, independence, and ability to stand out. The authors concluded that coolness: “has crystallized on a similar set of values and traits around the globe.”

That suggests that coolness is less about fashion or fame and more about how people carry themselves. It is a social signal of confidence and freedom – the ability to choose your own path and enjoy it without waiting for approval. It is also a reminder that coolness and goodness serve different social purposes. One inspires admiration, the other trust.

In an age of online trends and mass imitation, the study offers a counterpoint: the essence of cool still lies in individuality. Across cultures, the people who seem most magnetic are those who know who they are, what they want, and live that way without apology.