The Form of the Meme Is the Meme of the Form On Substance as the Meme’s Substrate

Briana Viser • Writer and Editor

Sep 12, 2025 3:00 PM EDT

Memes, much like Platonic Forms, are more than simple images paired with witty captions. They function as cultural archetypes, a window into our most personal experiences. In classical philosophy, form gives shape to matter. But I am not exactly what you'd call a "philosopher." Not that philosophy doesn't have tons of merit, it's engrossed in deep history of ways to understand reality, knowledge, ethics, and the meaning of life. But in all honesty, isn't it just like their opinion, man?

Early thinkers like Thales and Heraclitus in Greece asked what the world is made of. Socrates questioned ethics and self-knowledge, and Plato wondered about ideal Forms. In the East, India's Buddhist teachings, and China's Confucius and Laozi, developed profound systems about life and morality.

We can also wonder about life and ethics through memes. They take the form of reflecting our inner worlds in ways that we didn't know we all shared. Having a strange shower thought suddenly because a well known catch phrase, highlighting the connection we all share as humans.