The Potion Seller meme originated from a viral YouTube video uploaded by Justin Kuritzkes in 2011, where he uses a Mac Photo Booth 'Mirror' filter to distort his face while performing a dramatic dialogue. The video features a character known as the Potion Seller who stubbornly refuses to sell his potent brews to a desperate 'Traveler,' claiming they are 'too strong' for any mortal. This absurd, high-energy performance resonated with the internet due to its unique visual distortion and the repetitive, rhythmic nature of the dialogue. Today, the meme is frequently used to describe situations where someone is gatekeeping something overly intense or when there is a mismatch between a person's confidence and the reality of a situation.