Cooler heads prevail is an idiom. We will examine the meaning of the common idiom cooler heads prevail, where it came from, and some examples of its idiomatic usage in sentences.
Cooler heads prevail means that the dominant influence in a given situation is exerted by calm, thoughtful people. Some believe the phrase was invented as an antithesis to the term, hothead, which came into use in the 1600s. The sentiment of the phrase cooler heads prevail came into use in the early 1800s; however, the exact phrase cooler heads prevail came into use in the United States in the latter-1800s. The term is often used as an admonition to calm a situation: let cooler heads prevail.
Examples
If cooler heads prevail and Simmons backs off his trade request, the Sixers can see whether he’s improved those facets of his game before deciding upon their course of action. (Forbes)
Let’s hope that cooler heads prevail and that these fringe ideas don’t come to embarrassingly define public policy in Ohio to the rest of the world. (Ohio Capital Journal)
“If for one provision, we’re willing to scuttle an entire bill that’s been worked on all session — I find myself in that position a lot, and I would hope that we would have cooler heads prevail and that we could pass what I would consider a really good piece of legislation,” Minority Floor Leader John Rizzo said. (Missouri Times)