Where Does The 'They Don't Know' Wojak Meme Come From? How To Use The 'I Wish I Was At Home' Format Explained

Wojaks have inspired some of the most popular memes online over the past decade, one of the most popular examples being the "They don't know" meme. Also known as "I wish I was at home," the painfully relatable memes depict a character who is anxious and uncomfortable at parties and just wants to go home. Here's a brief history of the meme.

What Is The 'They Don't Know' Meme And Where Does It Come From?

The earliest known example of the "They don't know" meme was posted to SadAndUseless.com all the way back in 2009. It shows the typical Wojak character, known back then as the feels guy, standing in the corner with a drink while everyone else dances, wishing he was at home playing video games. I know that feel, bro.

The meme started to take off around 2011 when a YouTuber posted a four-minute-long video consisting of only the meme over an ambient recording of people chatting and music playing at a party. This was followed by a few new versions of the meme in 2014 replacing the captions and visuals of the meme. Then, finally, in 2020, the meme really started to take off as its own format, inspiring hundreds of variations on the format over the next few years.

How Is 'They Don't Know' Used In Memes?

In 2020, the meme really exploded as people took the original version and replaced the captions with other relatable phrases. Some early popular examples include the captions, "they don't know I'm mildly popular on left Twitter" and "they don't know I am mildly good at speedrunning Mario 64."

From there, the memes became a bit more complex as some users redrew the entire meme, changing the characters involved to fit the context of the joke. The meme hasn't really stopped inspiring memes since 2020, becoming one of the most well-known formats of the 2020s thanks to its flexibility.

For the full history of "They don't know," be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry for more information.