These ‘being perceived’ memes will leave you feeling very seen indeed

I’ll tell you what sucks: being perceived. Just having your existence registered by someone else. Why can’t we all just get along without it? It’s a weird sentiment, but one you might have noticed growing on Twitter.

The “being perceived” is a bit existential, a bit loner-y. In a way, it’s the perfect 2020 meme.

But it’s also a bit confusing. Just why is everyone harping on about the agony of being perceived? Why is being perceived even so bad? Let’s explain:

What exactly is the ‘being perceived’ meme all about?

The “being perceived” meme has its roots in “The Mortifying Ideal of Being Known”, from a 2013 New York Times essay.

“We believe that unconditional love means not seeing anything negative about someone, when it really means pretty much the opposite: loving someone despite their infuriating flaws and essential absurdity,” Tim Kreider writes.

“If we want the rewards of being loved we have to submit to the mortifying ordeal of being known.” Crikey.

Think of being perceived as a 2020 extension of this. Instead of baring your soul in order to be loved, the meme cranks up the isolation and anxiety and scrapes away some of the shine. The price for existing and participating in society, even to a small extent, is being perceived. You are seen and known, without the reward of being loved. And that’s something to avoid.

Think of it as the following Marge Simpson meme:

On a less gloomy note, it’s also a pretty banal sentiment – there are some days where you just don’t want to be part of normal society. You wish you could take part in that Zoom call, have bad hair and bags under your eyes, without your classmates or coworkers unavoidably forming an opinion.

Sure, you can go a day without being perceived, but it means not really doing anything. And that’s just not practical.

Anyway, here are a bunch of being perceived memes

me when i'm being perceived https://t.co/3Z525wO82P

— aquila 🫀 (@belllmonts) October 17, 2020

https://twitter.com/doodlejumpgod69/status/1317309839723429888

https://twitter.com/brittany_broski/status/1306415830977187841

Girls just wait Until i Get Over my Fear of Being .perceived

— want a gf (@plsfindmeagf) October 15, 2020

https://twitter.com/jaboukie/status/1240781744497987585

Being adored Being perceived pic.twitter.com/apLnNyHGjd

— Kendra (@kendrawcandraw) April 14, 2020

https://twitter.com/taglishes/status/1253123759030099969

https://twitter.com/JavaughnSYW/status/1307951417735274497

https://twitter.com/dn3hrnjgs/status/1176932892057985025

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being perceived is the biggest waste of my time!! stop perceiving me!

— JP (@jpbrammer) February 7, 2020

the fact that i’m constantly being perceived,,, makes me uneasy

— burnt umber (@gradeint) April 7, 2020

i be like “i hate being perceived” and then take 236 selfies and tweet my every thought

— trish (@ultragloss) June 20, 2020

Coming down from psychedelics and realizing i have to go back to being perceived https://t.co/6HsM8PlRzZ

— anime yitties (@_silhouwet) August 11, 2020

https://twitter.com/hostile_bean/status/1257411762032279553

I am so tired of being perceived pic.twitter.com/YrZHcHtpBU

— bobby wasabi (@bobbyteriyaki) June 21, 2020

Scorpio: i don’t wanna be perceived
Aquarius: I don’t want to perceived either
Scorpio: cool, I wanted to go home and be alone anyways

Aquarius, alone: i think i actually might enjoy being perceived more than i let on

— Astro Bebs (@astrobebs) September 2, 2020

https://twitter.com/Iesbwian/status/1216361579186466817

https://twitter.com/MommyBigDick/status/1297022101472161793

https://twitter.com/venusiansol/status/1292953496199876608

existing be like: being perceived, someone thinks of me, more perceiving, questioning my existence, falling in love, enjoying the sunlight, some more perceiving, buying plants

— sarah (@heavenbrat) July 1, 2020

if i was being perceived i would simply stop existing

— ✧ (@northstardoll) October 22, 2019

I’m not convinced the authors of those tweets will love the fact they’ve just been perceived, but oh well.

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