One of the oldest dating tricks in the book is playing «hard to get.» You’re supposed to reject the first advances, take a while to respond, and seem like you have better things going on. It’s supposed to make the object of your desire feel like they have to earn your attention, and humans love a challenge. There’s definite truth to this little bit of pop psychology. 

Think about restaurant reservations. When you look on OpenTable and there are too many time slots available, you’re probably a bit turned off by that. When there’s a line down the block for the new hot place, it only makes the place seem newer and hotter. We humans are very easy to trick. Same thing with these memes. They’re spicy enough to draw in your interest, give you a taste of what you desire, and then leave you wanting more. Luckily hundreds more meme lists are waiting for you right after.