Where Does 'The Horrors Persist, But So Do I' Meme Come From? The Wholesome Catchphrase Explained

In times of great adversity *gestures broadly at current events*, there is a necessity for memes to instill the will to carry on living (and memeing).

Luckily, since we've already recently lived through great adversity with things like wars, pandemics and other historical events, there are already memes we can draw upon to help give strength for when the world is difficult to stomach.

One such meme features a hamster in a toy car captioned, "The horrors persist, but so do I."

So how did this catchphrase emerge online, what does it mean exactly, and why has it become so widespread on the internet? Let's explain.

Where Did "The Horrors Persist But So Do I" Start?

The meme is actually a slight offshoot of another mantra that popped up online in the 2020s, "The Horrors Are Endless, but I Stay Silly." That meme got its start in early January 2023 and was inspired by a maia arson crimew's tweet that read, "congress is investigating now, but I stay silly :3."

In April, Tumblr user secretsfromwholecloth posted a cross-stitch featuring the phrase, "The horrors persist, but so do I." This much more defiant catchphrase caught social media's imagination, and soon it became the dominant meme with which to address "the horrors."

How Did "The Horrors Persist But So Do I" Spread?

The meme spread largely thanks to Facebook user Aria Carter, who in May 2023 posted the phrase on an image of a hamster in a toy car. That itself became an exploitable meme template as internet users drew other characters into the toy car.

The phrase has seen a marked increase in usage since the events of last week, with many Twitter / X users reciting it like a mantra for what could be wild days ahead.

If the horrors are gonna persist, then I guess I am too

— John P Golden (@Jpegolden) November 6, 2024

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For the full history of The Horrors Persist But So Do I, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry for more information.