Would you call all of the pics in this list 'memes'? What even is a meme anymore, format-wise? Back in the day, memes had to be accompanied by a visual of some kind. Some of the all-time classics could be grumpy cat, clown-in-progress, and Chad memes. But nowadays, text-only memes seem to be just fine, too.
Researcher Ian MacRae writes on his blog for Psychology Today that text-only memes are less likely to go viral because we're wired to relate and like visual content more.
"The most viral memes tend to feature a specific character as the subject, displaying clear facial expressions, emotions, and body posture," MacRae explains. "In other words, the most shareable memes are those that transmit information that would normally be conveyed through non-verbal communication."
"This is why we are particularly susceptible to certain types of memes," MacRae goes on. "They bypass rational analysis and tap directly into the emotional and instinctual parts of the brain." Sorry, imageless memes – turns out, the odds for you to go viral are stacked against your favor.
If you liked this list of memes, be sure to share it with your own circle of friends, even if you don't lovingly refer to them as 'idiots.' 2.9 million other people are fans of the "Circle of Idiots" page, so chances are, they'll like it too! Also, if you'd like to see more of this page, check out our previous posts here, here, and right here!
