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Silver Disobedience® Perception Dynamics Hosted by Dian GrieselAuthor: Dian Griesel, Ph.D. aka @SilverDisobedience Language: en Genres: Personal Journals, Society & Culture Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it Trailer: |
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Unpacking the Cool Factor with Thomas W. Hodgkinson
Episode 515
Thursday, 14 May, 2026
Thomas Hodgkinson on Coolness: Why Trying to Be Cool Is Uncool (and How to Live in the Now)In this SilverDisobedience© Perception Dynamics™ podcast conversation Dian Griesel welcomes author Thomas Hodgkinson, whose book How to Be Cool: The 150 Essential Idols, Ideals and Other Cool S*** explores the elusive, self-defeating nature of defining coolness. Dian recounts how Hodgkinson proved his own cool by promptly redirecting her to another Thomas Hodgkinson she was trying to find -- and how he provided the correct email! They discuss cool as a state of being rather than actions, the paradox of caring versus indifference, and how fame and social-media “likes” distort the idea of cool. Hodgkinson traces cool’s roots to early 20th-century American jazz and African American culture as a “third way” for the powerless, emphasizing living in the present. They examine oppositional cool, talent and effortlessness, risky “now” living, mortality’s role in wisdom, childlike creativity, and examples from history and culture including Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus, Clint Eastwood, Keith Richards, Oscar Wilde, Bob Dylan, and Bjork.SHOW RUN: 00:00 Cold Open Intro00:08 Meet Thomas Hodgkinson00:31 Accidental Cool Email02:19 Why Write Cool02:38 Defining Coolness06:16 Fame Versus Cool07:34 Cool As Being08:42 Origins In Jazz12:11 School Cool Crowd13:44 Do Versus Be15:44 Authenticity Not Approval20:41 Likes And Validation23:17 Indifference With Values24:15 Cool Hero Narrative28:14 Parenthood And Cool29:36 Parenting Through Cool30:37 Letting Kids Fly32:46 Coolness And Risk35:44 Mortality Changes Cool39:31 Crafting Effortless Cool44:03 Oscar Wilde Philosophy48:04 Childlike Coolness49:29 Art Like A Kid51:43 Closing And RecommendationsPlease SUBSCRIBE! I’m Dian Griesel, Ph.D. aka @SilverDisobedience to my hundreds of thousands of monthly blog readers. You can learn more about me here: https://diangriesel.com But for starters…I am a perception analyst, counselor, hypnotherapist, author of 16 books and a Wilhelmina model. For 30 years I have helped my clients to achieve greater understanding as to how perceptions impact everything we do whether personally or professionally.What happens when raw curiosity collides with uncharted truths? In Silver Disobedience® Perception Dynamics, host Dian Griesel—a provocateur of perception—dives into unscripted, no-holds-barred stories from fascinating guests across diverse lives. We unpack work, play, psychology, pop culture, trends, B.S. + more through thought-provoking questions that spark honest revelations, pivotal moments & unguarded insights—stunning even the boldest with their own "aha" truths. Raw inspiration, mindset shifts & uplifting wisdom fuel deeper self- and other understanding. No scripted fluff. Check it out!
