The Waking Up Brain meme, often categorized under the Expanding Brain umbrella, follows a progression of increasingly complex or absurd ideas paired with images of a brain lighting up. It evolved from simple comparison memes into a surrealist format where the final panel often represents a galaxy brain or ironical enlightenment. Originally surfacing on Reddit around 2017, it has become the gold standard for mocking people who think they are smarter than they actually are, or for celebrating niche, bizarre logic that somehow makes perfect sense.