3 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Does a Lion Concern Itself With Memes?
If people on your social media feed are suddenly referring to themselves in the third person — and as lions no less — you're not alone. The Sigma Lion meme, in which people refer to 'the lion,' often as a veiled reference to themselves, has become somewhat ubiquitous online. If that makes no sense to you, here's some helpful background.
OK, where did this come from?
To understand the usage of 'the lion,' you have to first understand 'sigma grindset,' a TikTok trend that gained popularity in 2022 and merges two subcultures.
A 'sigma,' in social media slang, is a successful and highly independent man. The concept was popularized in the 'manosphere,' a corner of the internet largely populated by young men that frequently promotes anti-feminist and misogynistic rhetoric, and it has spread out from there, becoming frequent slang in high schools and middle schools.
The second subculture is made up of people who commit to a 'grindset' lifestyle, which glorifies a specific type of hard work that prioritizes self-improvement, productivity and discipline at the expense of leisure. Think Ashton Hall's viral morning routine.
Sigma grindset takes the mentality of the sigma world and combines it with the commitment to hustle culture from the grindset, and that all manifests in the discussion of 'the lion.'
Why is a lion involved?
The usage of a lion in this context is nothing new. A popular saying in sigma grindset circles is 'The lion does not turn around when the small dog barks,' which has been attributed to a supposed African proverb. But there is also a famous line from 'Game of Thrones' in which Tywin Lannister says, 'A lion does not concern himself with the opinion of a sheep.' Similar constructions are abundant, and they are rarely attributed to specific sources.
As with so many memes, the quotations were originally shared earnestly, before being co-opted by those who wanted to satirize and mock the concept. Some interpretations were outlandish, some were funny and more than a few carried racist or offensive messages.
The meme took on a life of its own when people began discussing even odder things the lion does or does not do, like not concerning itself with child labor laws or not tipping minimum wage workers.
In a short period of time, it has morphed, for some, into a way to share more petty grievances, like not having asked for pickles.
I still don't get it.
Fair! The meme and its variants require a slight sprinkle of brain rot, meaning you have to spend a lot of time on social media — primarily in Gen Z and Gen Alpha circles — to truly grasp them.
Honestly, the less you know the better — after all, the lion does not concern itself with stories explaining memes.
