"Inside you there are two wolves" is an evergreen phrase often used to represent the opposing viewpoints held by one person. The catchphrase is used to signify how one person can harbor contradicting ideas that may sometimes cause tension or strife.

But as with all poignant proverbs, the phrase has since been adopted into meme vernacular to joke about how some contradictions can lead to pretty funny results. Here's the origin of the meme.

Where Does The Phrase 'Inside You There Are Two Wolves' Come From?

The exact origins of the proverb are unclear, although it has been attributed to Christian pastor Billy Graham in 1978, as well as the Cherokee Native American tribe.

When Did 'Inside You There Are Two Wolves' Become A Meme?

The meme grew popular sometime in late 2018, notably taking off on Facebook in November of that year. The earliest known reference to the meme is a post by Facebook user Scorty Pippin, followed by a similar parody being posted to /r/comedyheaven. Tumblr user @unclefather turned the meme into an object labeling format, with the punchline being, "You have depression."

How Did The "Inside You There Are Two Wolves' Meme Evolve?

A popular version of the meme going into the year 2019 was labeling both the wolves as gay, and insisting that the reader was gay. Another popular version of the meme was to do away with wolves altogether, instead inserting random third-party animals to create a nonsequiter-style anti-joke. A good example of this is a meme featuring two rats with the plague, which indicates that you too have the plague.

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For the full history of the "Inside you there are two wolves" meme, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry for more information.