In the first season Game of Thrones, Tywin Lannister, one of the most powerful lords in Westeros, calmly discusses military strategy while gutting a deer. He encourages his son Jaime to worry less about what people think of him. “The lion doesn’t care about the sheep’s opinion,” he said. speaks.
Fourteen years later, the phrase still resonates. Why should a fierce lion, strong and collected, care what a meek and gentle creature thinks about anything? He is the majestic king of the jungle, capable of defeating anyone who fights him.
This is the philosophy that TikTokers are now adopting, but with a twist.
On the social media platform, people share images of a black and white lion or turn the camera on themselves and add text to their videos that begins with the words: “The lion doesn't take care of himself…”. They then fill in the blanks with answers ranging from the trivial, like deodorant, to the very important, like their sexuality. By seizing on this phrase, they assert their dominance over troubling issues and at the same time show their vulnerability.
How did we get here
Like many memes, the lion and its meaning have changed over time.
The concept of a powerful but happy-go-lucky lion came to stand for “sigma”, a slang term for a successful and independent person. It was popular in manospherepart of the internet that promotes masculinity and misogyny. Sigma focuses on the “grindset,” or a mindset that encourages extreme effort to improve your appearance and results. Seeing yourself as a lion in the manosphere emphasizes dominance and the importance of putting your own needs above all else.
According to New York Times article for Maylion memes that emerged from the manosphere were initially serious but were then absorbed outlandish and sometimes offensive extremesoften using black and white images of a stoic lion. It developed again when people started joking about social norms that lions might defy. tips, compliance with child labor laws and even minor grievances such as lactose intolerance.
Then on TikTok, the meme evolved again, plucked from the manosphere and repackaged to promote candor. In the latest version, people start a sentence the same way by saying, “Leo doesn't care about himself,” but then end it with something that bothers or stresses them out: “constant feeling that he should be doing something else“”obtaining a driver's license,” or “memory loss, brain fog and mild cognitive decline“
The popularization of the latest interpretation of the meme is partly due to Chan, a 32-year-old computer programmer from Los Angeles who prefers not to use his last name. In the post that began his series of 85 videos in this format, he says: “Leo doesn't care about cutting down on his screen time.”
Chan tells Yahoo that his intention was to acknowledge his flaw, but to acknowledge that admission in a humorous way to make it clear that he is still aware that it is a flaw. He also joked that the lion doesn't care about “open container laws” And “be good at math“, among other things.
He was touched by the fact that commenters had contacted him, especially one who called his confession “misguided but noteworthy.” That being said, his videos were officially more than just a joke.
“I know the main appeal is that it's funny, but people will comment, 'I thought I was alone in this' or 'that's crazy,' and that's really nice to hear,” Chan says.
Adam Aleksic, a linguist who breaks down teen slang and memes on the Internet, how Etymology Botanistaddressed the trend in viral TikTok.
“Leo doesn't care because the phrase 'a lion doesn't care about himself' is used as an ironic way of admitting something is vulnerable,” he says.
Aleksic explains in his post that speaking in the third person removes people from their sense of self, making it acceptable to express something that would otherwise be considered contemptuous or careless. Adopting the excessive language of the sigma grindset adds an extra layer of disconnection from feelings of fear, anxiety, or regret.
“Leo just longs to be seen as himself by others, yet he has to cover himself with sarcasm and nonchalance” to communicate honestly, he says.
The meme encourages people not to be too hard on themselves regarding perceived shortcomings. Everyone has something they want to improve, and the popularity of this trend shows that clearly.
From Anxiety to Collective Healing
Just like in real life, it's hard to be honest about what's hurting you online. On social media, you can be given some anonymity—you can hide your identity with a username, hide your face with filters and editing, or block out the fact that thousands of people could be watching what you record while only talking on the phone. But by expressing yourself, you also open yourself up to strangers who may want to tear you down. Speaking in the third person, this tendency creates enough distance to make people feel safer and more vulnerable.
While it is somewhat troubling that some people feel like they have to hide their true feelings in humor in order to be able to share them, they still put themselves out there. It's like when tiktokers share their guilty pleasures through meme “sorry, I love”that allows people to come together because they are I'm usually embarrassed to admit.
Shanaz Iconn, a licensed professional counselor who helps adults cope with burnout and improve self-esteem, tells Yahoo that this can be a way to ask for help without actually saying any words.
“From a psychological perspective, this reflects how online communities become spaces of collective healing and growth,” Iconn says. “People no longer demand perfectly edited videos—they want the underdog to win. They want to say, 'I'm worried about the lion's health.'”
The Internet isn't that bad. A meme that briefly signaled an obsession with isolation is now creating community and tenderness among its creators. Leo doesn't worry about how complicated it all must be as long as it's happening.
