How important is being cool?

How important is cool? Even to this day people will do things or avoid doing things that will make them seem not cool. You have to have this watch, drive that car, listen to these bands, etc. then you are cool. If you do this or that then you are not cool, and if you are not cool then more than likely you are something else; like a geek or dork. The secret is many of those dorks and geeks keep the world humming with all the cool stuff. What would you do in the name of being cool and what would you avoid even if it maybe unethical or wrong to do so in order not to appear un-cool?