What Are 'Indomitable Human Spirit' Memes All About? The Catchphrase About The Power Of Human Will And Perseverance Explained

In a testament to the memetic form's capacity to instill feelings of hope, compassion, pride and happiness, Gen Z has turned to memes as a way to shed the nihilistic cloak that seems to have shrouded the internet for the past decade.

TikTok brought back its slideshow function in August of 2022, a move that brought a barrage of new meme content to the platform. The wholesome Indomitable Human Spirit meme emerged from these TikTok slideshows and became a meme trend that thrives on making content about perseverance in the face of adversity. So what do these memes look like, and what are they saying to be tugging on heartstrings this way? Here's all you need to know about your new favorite genre of memes.

Where Do "Indomitable Human Spirit" Memes Come From?

While the idea notion of Human Will persevering against a cruel world is deeply rooted in a philosophical tradition that spans from existentialist to post-modern philosophy, the use of the phrase "indomitable human spirit" appears to have been synthesized purely in meme form. Specifically, the trend emerged as a way to counter a preexisting slideshow trend that leaned deeply nihilistic and sad. Set to the song "12 Stout Street" by rapper Rx Papi, these slideshows would show a series of depressing messages that nonetheless are easy to relate to. Here's an example of the average sad fodder people were engaging with.

However, In a truly inspirational testament to the power of human ingenuity, the use of the word "indomitable" first appeared in a tweet about a man with no hands rolling a blunt. The phrase then made its next appearance on an Instagram page ironically named "thisisafleshprison."

"Indomitable Human Spirit" Usage In Memes

The use of the phrase can be varied, as it isn't necessarily a catchphrase as much as it is a theme to curate a series of wholesome memes around. A simple example of an "Indomitable Human Spirit" meme is to simply say it like it is; the indomitable human spirit dunks on the indifferent cruelty of the universe, and it is well and good to be simply reminded of the fact. Especially it comes in the form of a Venom dunking on Spider-Man meme.

A craftier way to embody the Indomitable Human Spirit trend is to set it to an iconic piece of media, like this video that uses the final battle from Avatar: The Last Airbender to really drive home the message that peace and kindness always wins.

Other memes don't use the phrase at all, instead choosing to highlight an idea or act that embodies the phrase instead. For example, this edit of the ape drinking Powerade meme contains a specific call to action and demands that people extract themselves from cycles of negativity that have no value other than to depress. Neat!

Where Can I Use "Indomitable Human Spirit" Memes?

You can use the "indomitable human spirit" meme wherever you think fit, whether it's a way to commend someone else for an achievement, or simply a way to offer yourself a pick-me-up after a grueling day. Everyone deserves a chance to reinvent and renew themselves, and there's no shame in practicing some subpar memetic cognitive conditioning in order to do so!

For the full history of X, be sure to check out our entry on the meme here for even more information.