William Shakespeare was a genius because he truly understood the human psyche. He covered extremely universal themes in his plays, such as power, corruption, ambition, politics, revenge, fate, conflict, and most importantly, love. All of them were relatable back then. But they are also relevant today because humans stay the same.
Many things connect us, no matter how much time passes. Relatable memes might not be as grand or legendary as Willy’s plays, but the essence of “human connection” is similar in both. And speaking of memes, we associate them with something funny these days. But did you know that the word actually has academic origins?
In 1976, evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins coined the term “meme” in his book titled “The Selfish Gene.” He compared biological genes to cultural ideas because both of them replicate, evolve, and get passed down from one person to another.
To describe how ideas spread and evolve, Dawkins wanted a one-syllable word that was catchy and sounded like “gene,” but also hinted at memory. So he borrowed from the French word “même” (meaning: same) and “mimeme,” derived from the Greek “mimeisthai” (meaning: to imitate), to coin the word we use today.
Today, not everyone knows why or who coined the word, but memes are pretty popular. In fact, people use them to communicate, make someone laugh, or just break the ice. Stats reveal that Instagram users share more than a whopping 1 million memes per day.
When it comes to relatable memes, they make you feel “understood.” I mean, it’s nice to know you are not the only one who has embarrassed yourself in front of your crush.
Therapist Theodora Blanchfield claims that memes get trivialized and disparaged, yet they’re an important social currency in this day and age. She shares its boons by explaining that memes:
- Create connections.
- Help you say the hard things.
- Help you build emotional capital.
- Contribute to a “shared language.”
- And help you feel seen.
Memes can also help you cope with difficulties. According to experts at Mayo Clinic, a good sense of humor isn’t a cure for everything, but laughter can do a lot of positive things. When it comes to short-term benefits, a good laugh increases feel-good chemicals called endorphins that your brain releases.
It also activates and relieves your stress response and lowers your heart rate and blood pressure. That’s why you feel better and more relaxed. Moreover, laughter can stimulate circulation and help relax muscles, which soothes tension.
Another important aspect of laughter is its long-term benefits. For instance, it can lower stress hormones that weaken the immune system and boost certain immune cells that fight illness. Guffawing over relatable memes might reduce pain and help shift your focus away from unease. Along with increasing your personal satisfaction, laughter also helps your mood.
