I'll never forget a peer of mine slapping me on the back and saying "nice guys don't win." This was as we were leaving class our senior year after the homecomin

I'll never forget a peer of mine slapping me on the back and saying "nice guys don't win." This was as we were leaving class our senior year after the homecoming court was announced. He made it. I didn't. Fifteen years later, we are both doing well. But he definitely took a nose dive after high school; drugs, alcohol, legal trouble, dead-end jobs, etc. And I went to college, started a career and consider it the best time of my life. But, it was not a death sentence for him, and I'm not a millionaire or anything ;) We both still live in the same town and are married with kids and have good jobs. And there are many more examples of both of us, but some "cool kids" continue their downward spiral or continue to ascend to great things as they shed their earlier un-coolness. It definitely didn't take a study to see this. In my opinion, many "cool kids" find that doors get closed through their riskier behavior or poorer results in school and are no longer able to get by solely on good looks and athletic prowess. While hard work and education open up more opportunities for others, particularly as popularity is taken out of the equation. EDIT: I should note that the king and queen of homecoming were very attractive, but not necessarily "cool kids." It was very refreshing, and perhaps an indication of things to come.