Memes specialize in offering our regular dose of something out of the ordinary.

That is a big part of the reason that they keep us coming back. When everything in our offline lives seems mundane, boring, or even downright negative, the escapism of these silly little images is exactly what our minds need to shift into a different gear.

It is not like memes are always pretending that everything is fine and great, or completely denying whatever it is that we have going on in reality. In fact, they can actually be great at reflecting that in a pithy and amusing way. What really gets us is that no matter what topic they choose to tackle, it is done in a way that makes us think twice, adding in the novelty factor that is so important in capturing our diminished attention spans.

At their very best, they manage to communicate a message that stays with us long after the image or format has faded out of relevance. While they are supposed to be temporary, some have a remarkable staying power because of the personal resonance that they have with the meme consumer. As such, it is wise to never underestimate them, even when they are particularly stupid.

Most of all, though, the important thing is to enjoy the ride when it comes to scrolling through random memes. You never know what might be coming next, and for that, we have to show some gratitude. These dumb image and text combinations keep us guessing.