We might not know anything else, but we can confidently say that being a human isn’t always easy. We’re expected to find happiness in our lives while juggling endless responsibilities and conforming to expectations set by society. Sometimes, existence just feels too heavy. So if you're in need of some humor to lighten the mood, you’ve come to the right place, pandas.
We took a trip to "Existential Shirts" on Instagram and gathered some of their funniest memes below. Some are existentialist, some are painfully relatable, and others are just silly enough to make you smile. We hope you enjoy your journey through these images, and please remember not to take life too seriously!
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Who could argue with that? Certainly not me! Sounds like you need a robot instead.
'The bird of ill omen' legend is all pants; rooks, crows and ravens are intelligent and can be affectionate to humans, even getting jealous of other animals. OK, they pick up shiny things but who doesn't?
Elbert Hubbard famously said, “Do not take life too seriously. You will never get out of it alive.” But that’s a lot easier said than done. It can be extremely difficult for people to accept the fact that they’re not going to live forever, and it has been for all of humanity. In fact, the oldest story ever recorded, the Epic of Gilgamesh, is about a king’s quest for immortality.
It’s extremely common to fear the end of your life. In fact, a 2021 YouGov survey found that 41% of Brits are afraid of their life coming to an end. Women are even more scared than men, as 47% worry about this, compared to only 35% of men. Perhaps this explains why men are more willing to partake in risky behaviors…
I started How to K**l a Mockingbird and stopped about a chapter from the end. It was many years, at least 8 before I finished it (recently). I stopped The Jungle with maybe 12 page left. I still have a bookmark in it. That was from I think around 2013. I'll get around to it one of these days.
Did the title of a book just be censored
Load More Replies...I refuse to finish Catch-22. I feel like if I complete the book, I will forever blaspheme its canon.
Tried to read Ulysses by James Joyce three times now, and not managed to get even halfway. But I shall persevere because I need to finish the thing in order to appease my inner demons.
My brother and I, somewhere along the line, got the idea that we HAVE to finish every book we started. I abandoned this idea in my late teens. Took my brother until his 50’s to figure it out. Now, if a book doesn’t capture his attention in the first few pages, he’s out.
I had a friend like that she would force herself to keep reading. She couldn't understand why I didn't do the same, I told her I read for pleasure and if it's not a pleasure then I don't want to read it.
Load More Replies...It took me about 8 months to finish DUNE. (For context i can usually read a 600 page book in under a week). That book aggravated me so badly i had to stop reading it every couple of sections so i didn’t go crazy 😭. i only finished it cause reading it gave me 10 points extra credit in my chem class
So many questions. I guess the most obvious is, why did reading arguably the best sci-fi book ever written get you extra credit in chem?
Load More Replies...I tend to read while in a waiting room, so I've been reading the same books for many weeks. Most of my reading is done online bc I receive numerous scientific articles each day that fascinate me.
Could this be because the ending is predictable or the reader loses interest in the characters?
Three-quarters of Brits believe that having a fear of passing away is rational. However, their minds tend to change as they get older. The greatest percentage of Brits who find this fear irrational are over the age of 60.
Meanwhile, people tend to worry more about losing a loved one than losing their own life. And over three-quarters of those surveyed said that there is at least one person they would be willing to sacrifice their own life for. But men are over three times as likely as women to worry about their own lives over the lives of their loved ones.
Yes, I have tried, but I am still having trouble hearing you for all the voices and tinnitus.
If you’re a human being who has come to terms with your own mortality, you’ve likely experienced some existential dread. According to WebMD, it’s perfectly normal to feel despair and uncertainty when you realize that you don’t have answers to life’s biggest questions. Plenty of people feel lost, trapped, or like their life is fake.
But existential dread doesn’t always come out of nowhere. Sometimes, it’s triggered by a significant life event, such as a marriage, divorce, loss of a friendship, birth of a child, a move, loss of a job, career change, retirement, loss of a loved one, or a diagnosis with a serious illness.
Any other arachnophobes out there that remember the old movie about giant, irradiated spiders?
Even in my early 30s i used to look like a teen. People would joke that I would jump from cute teen to cute grandma. No hot girl era for me.
As far as how we can deal with existential dread, WebMD recommends trying to accept the feeling. It may be uncomfortable, but unfortunately, there’s nothing you can do about your own mortality. It’s best to learn how to live with that reality than to spend your days spiraling. Meanwhile, journaling may help you make sense of your feelings. Nobody likes to feel like their emotions are bottled up inside their mind, so you might feel a lot better after pouring them out onto paper.
Another way to combat existential dread is by connecting with others. If you feel like your life is full of meaning, you might not be so scared of what the future holds. Being present in your current reality and focusing on building strong relationships can be extremely rewarding. Plus, you might be able to open up to your loved ones about your complex feelings.
My brother and I are both in our 60’s. I mentioned the research that indicates that social connections are a better indicator of longevity than genetics, diet, exercise, etc. He responded that some of us are just fine living alone avoiding human contact and that maybe living longer isn’t worth it if you have to be around other people.
Humor can also be an extremely powerful tool in combatting existential dread. Scientific American notes that humor can be a healthy coping mechanism when life is just too hard. Clinical psychologist Steven Sultanoff explains that it’s usually impossible to experience distressing emotions and humor at the same time. At least for a moment, your fears will vanish while you’re laughing at a funny meme or sharing a joke with friends. Plus, “Joyful use of humor builds psychological antibodies,” Sultanoff says.
I love listening to David Suchet reading the Bible. How can you doubt Hercule Poirot?
Just because humor is helpful doesn’t mean that we should completely ignore our distressing emotions; it’s still important to face them. But if you can find room for some joy and laughter too, you might be much better off.
“You’re not denying that there is some trouble in the world and there’s great despair and grief,” Psychologist MicheleTugade told Scientific American. “It’s giving yourself a break. And we all need a little break.”
Are you enjoying your scroll through these silly memes, pandas? Keep upvoting the ones that make you smile, and let us know in the comments below if you have any other tips for combatting modern existential dread. Then, if you’re interested in checking out another list from Bored Panda featuring clever and relatable memes, we recommend reading this article next!
Probably the simplest and mozt succinct explanation of this experiment
Introversion is not meaningless. When else can you get to pet cats?
Not a fan of Cicero. Oh wait, he was assassinated, he must have been a good person.
"Writing my thoughts down helps me keep them ordered." - Someone else
Note: this post originally had 97 images. It’s been shortened to the top 50 images based on user votes.
