Where are you located along the "diffusion of cool"

Joseph Health and Andrew Potter on the "diffusion of cool" from their book "Nation of Rebels: Why Counterculture Became Consumer Culture" p. 216:

The diffusion of cool occurs [spreads] in exactly the same way [as epidemics].  It begins with a small group of "innovators," who are the congenital nonconformists, always on the prowl for things that nobody else is doing, saying, wearing or using.  The innovators are soon followed by a slightly larger group called the "early adopters."  These are what we can call the cool brokers.  They keep tabs on the innovators, evaluate what they are doing and decide whether or not to follow suit.  If they do, the trend will begin to grow exponentially, as the early adopters are quickly emulated by the "early majority" and then the "late majority," the play-it-safe masses who would never dare attempt to be avant-garde.  Finally, the epidemic of hip trails off as the"laggards," those most resistant to fashion and change, reluctantly get on board.  These are the people still waiting to see if the Internet craze is going to last." 

I think people can move around in their roles depending on what we are talking about... as some people choose to specialize in, say, music, or art, or fashion...or the "hot blog" of the week/month/year...

Posted via email from Jim Nichols