Longevity is not the strong point of most memes. They are here to be considered for half a second at most before we move on to the next thing. While it’s true that they can last a long time in the public consciousness with enough edits or iconic stature, they are usually pretty ephemeral.

This is all the more reason for them to try and make as big an impact as possible. It’s what has pushed many trends to go into abrasive or weird territory as meme culture has developed over the years. The memes below don’t always do that, but they certainly try their best to be memorable. It’s all they can do when the ones we don’t save or send on are likely to be forgotten about within a matter of minutes. Everything is temporary, but it is more obvious when it comes to the stuff on the internet.