ALEJANDRO ERNESTO / EPA
From Viana do Castelo to Vila Real de Santo António. From Rio de Janeiro to Beijing. People want to be fixed. “Fix” is a word we hear everywhere – in music, in fashion, on social networks… but, after all, what is this to be fixed?
A study recently in Journal of Experimental Psychology tried to understand What makes a person fix.
Is it just about being popular or being fashionable? Or is there anything deeper?
The study proposes to answer a simple but surprisingly unexplored question. “What are the personality traits and the values that make someone look cool – and do they differ between cultures?”
On the sidelines of this investigation, almost 6,000 people from 12 countries (Australia, Chile, China, Germany, India, Mexico, Nigeria, Spanish, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, and the United States) were asked to think of someone who knew personally and would be fixed, “do not fix”, “good” or “bad”.
Then it was asked to describe the characteristics and values of this person using validated psychological measures.
The data showed that what makes a fixed person is associated exclusively with the same six characteristics around the world: the fastest people tend to be outgoing, hedonists, adventurous, open, powerful and autonomous.
A BRIEF HISTORY ABOUT BEING FIXES
The first writings about being “cool” described it as an emotional restraint: being calm, composed and without worries.
What makes sense, since “cool”, translated to the letter, can mean cold.
This perspective, rooted in the metaphor of temperature and emotion, became “cool” as a Self-control signal and domain.
Some of these scholars attribute this way of being “cool” to slavery and segregation, in which emotional containment was a strategy of survival between enslaved Africans and their descendants, symbolizing autonomy and dignity in the face of oppression.
But others propose that the “cool” containment existed long before slavery.
In any case, the 1940s jazz musicians helped popularize this “cool” personality – relaxed, emotionally contained and with style – An image later adopted by youth and several countercultures.
Companies like Nike, Apple and MTV have marketed “Cool”, transforming a countercultural attitude into a more commercial global aesthetic.
This is what makes someone fix
The results of the new study suggest that the Meaning of “Fixe” changed. It is today a form of identify and label people with a specific psychological profile.
Fixed people are social: Extroverted.
Seek pleasure and fun: hedonists.
They take risks and experience new things: adventurous.
They are curious and open to new experiences: open.
Have influence or charisma: powerful.
And perhaps above all, they do things in their own way: autonomous.
Is six key characteristics They remained remarkably stable in all countries where the study focused on.
It has also been found that although it is fixed to override the fact that it is good or favorable, being fixed and being good are not the same thing.
For example, to be kind, calm, traditional, safe and conscientious he was more associated with being good than being fixed.
Furthermore, Some “fixed” characteristics were not necessarily good.
Being cool is also inspiration
The fact that so many cultures agree on what makes someone cool suggests that the “Fix” can have a shared social function. The characteristics that make people fixed can make them more likely to experience new things, to innovate new styles and fashions, and to influence others.
These individuals often exceed the limits and introduce new ideas – In fashion, art, politics or technology. They inspire others and help shape what is seen as modern, desirable or with a vision of the future.
Being “cool” in this sense can function as a kind of marker of cultural status – a reward for being bold, open and innovative.
This is not just a superficial style. It is a matter of signaling that one is in front of the curve and that others should pay attention.
What do we learn from being fixed?
First, young people around the world can have more in common than we often think. Despite the huge cultural differences, they tend to admire the same characteristics. This fact opens interesting possibilities of communication, collaboration and intercultural influence.
Secondly, if we want to establish a connection with others or inspire them-either through education, brand or leadership-it is useful to understand what people consider fixed.
O “fixe” It may not be a universal virtue, but it is a universal currency.
And finally, there is something comforting in all this: being fixed has nothing to do with being famous or rich. It has to do with the way you live. AND curious? Brave? Fell yourself? If so, It is likely that someone finds him fix – regardless of his origin.
