The Kurt Angle 1,000-Yard Stare meme features a clip of the legendary Olympic gold medalist and professional wrestler Kurt Angle looking directly into the camera with a wide-eyed, vacant expression. The footage originated from a video Angle posted to TikTok in late 2023, which was quickly adopted by the internet to represent feelings of existential dread, shell shock, or the sudden realization of a catastrophic mistake. Often paired with dramatic music, the meme has become a go-to reaction for 'thousand-yard stare' scenarios where a person is physically present but mentally processing a traumatizing or deeply awkward situation.