The 'The World is a Cruel and Unjust Place' meme is a three-panel comic featuring a character who undergoes a dramatic shift in perspective. In the first panel, the character is hunched over in despair, lamenting the cruelty of the world. In the second, they react with wide-eyed excitement to a specific object or event. In the final panel, they are shown standing tall and joyful, declaring that there is still good in the world. Originally gaining traction on Twitter and Tumblr in late 2020, the template is used to celebrate 'little wins' or niche interests that provide an escape from existential dread. It perfectly captures the whiplash of internet culture, where one can go from doomerism to pure hype in a single click.