It’s unlikely that many people entered 2026 expecting to be greeted by a meme of a penguin marching to its death. And yet, the media can be surprising in that way.

In early January, a clip from Werner Herzog’s 2007 documentary “Encounters at the End of the World” resurfaced and went viral, seemingly reaching every corner of the internet. Many are even reposting the phrase “be the penguin” along with it. 

In the clip, researchers observed a small group of penguins on a journey to the ocean for feeding. However, the middle penguin split off and waddled “off into the interior of the vast continent … towards certain death,” according to the documentary.

“Even if [the researchers] caught him and brought him back to the colony, he would immediately head right back for the mountains,” Herzog narrated. “But why?”

Viewers have collectively coined the term “the nihilistic penguin,” claiming that nihilism – the philosophy that nothing in life has real existence or meaning – influenced the penguin’s journey.

But why has this penguin, who makes the solitary journey across the Antarctic mountains, become something we can relate to? The reason might lie within the deepest crevasses of our humanity. 

The image of the penguin has poetic symbolism that is ingrained in our culture and literature

What makes the video of the penguin so mesmerizing but simultaneously haunting?

Well, its visual elements have a subliminal appeal that artists and authors have explored for centuries, particularly during the Romantic movement. Together with a poignant soundtrack, our subconscious is drawn to this piece of art.

The visual elements are simple: blank canvases of snow extend as far as the eye can see, broken only by distant, jagged mountains that loom in the distance. The landscape is overwhelmingly white – save for a lone black penguin moving through the stillness, impossibly small against the immensity of the nature around it. The video turns out to be extremely artistic, despite being a natural occurrence that was simply recorded.

Romantic art and literature often revolve around the theme of vast landscapes and isolation, as seen in Caspar David Friedrich’s painting “Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog” and the setting of Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein.”

The video of the penguin reflects the concept that “life imitates art,” popularized by author Oscar Wilde. 

Romanticism, in itself, is a disconnect from reason. It emphasizes nature’s power and beauty, strong emotion and the individual. 

Oak Park High School English teacher Kathleen Schultheis describes how the core characteristics of nihilism can be found in this vast, white imagery, like in Herman Melville’s novel “Moby Dick.”

“There’s a famous chapter called ‘The Whiteness of the Whale,’” she said. “The whale is so terrifying because it’s white, and white is just nothingness. The meaninglessness, blank void and not being able to make sense of anything is the essence of nihilism.”

The penguin’s imagery is subconsciously appealing, but its choice to leave the colony is a manifesto of our conscious frustration with society

Escaping conformity and the monotony of society is appealing to many people – especially students, who are inundated with a seemingly endless amount of homework and assignments. 

With the additional pressure of building an impressive resume for college, Schultheis has seen students burnt out with tasks they do not truly enjoy.

“Students ask, ‘What does it all mean? Why bother?’” she said. “People also have to go against their dream jobs for money, particularly in the arts, like movies, because those industries are slowly dying. People’s identities are getting shifted.”

Circling back to Romanticism, the movement originally emerged in the 17th century in a time of political upheaval in Europe, where society underwent rapid changes such as the French Revolution and industrialization.

Today, this is paralleled as students are still uncertain of the future of the world, making the penguin’s nonconformity inspiring. 

“With the political situation of our country and the world overall, people are fighting for their freedoms and speaking against issues that are not normal,” senior Sowmika Talanki said. “It’s really cool to see how the symbol of the penguin influenced them.”

People can find comfort in nihilism in the same way they often use humor to cope with bleakness.

“Many comedians, notably Jerry Seinfeld and Steve Martin, capitalize on the absurdity of life in their monologues,” Schultheis said. “All such humor begins, ‘Have you noticed…’ And what follows is a thoroughly ridiculous situation, but few people are so busy that they just don’t know their lives are absurd. Monty Python is the height of nihilistic comedy.”

The penguin is a symbol of the search for meaning, purpose and identity

Disclaimer: the following discusses suicide

The video has also inspired people to consider the existential and often unanswerable questions about life. 

“Seeing a penguin split from societal norms spoke to me,” Talanki said. “I was really contemplating life and trying to learn about myself and who I am as a person, so seeing the penguin reminded me that I don’t have to stick to societal norms.”

For senior Rastin Houshmand Azad, the penguin represents the rise of individualism.

“I think people are drawn to the idea because they don’t see [another] solution to nihilism that’s not individual,” he said. “The penguin is a suicidal penguin, so I think it says something about our loss of meaning. We can construct meaning for ourselves, but being part of a meaningful collective is lost to us.”

But that still begs the question: why are people becoming inspired despite the penguin’s ultimately fatal mission?

Houshmand Azad connects people’s regard for the penguin with philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer’s essay “On Suicide,” which discusses the idea that society has a certain respect for those who have died by suicide.

“I think the idea of the penguin marching to its death is something people can empathize with,” Houshmand Azad said. “Not only empathize with the need to get away from [life], but also the overwhelming sense of meaninglessness.”

“Schopenhauer, however, ultimately ends his essay by emphasizing the futility of suicide, suggesting that life itself requires one to create meaning,” he continued. “This, to me, is his central message and the meaning we should take with us to face life’s occasional meaninglessness.”

Conclusion

At the end of the day, we may never know why the penguin chose to veer away from the rest of the colony. Perhaps it was disoriented, had a biological ailment or was following survival instincts. 

However, through Herzog’s heartwrenching narration of a penguin choosing to leave its colony, we can’t help but see it as a reflection of our own struggles against conformity and the mundane.

Somehow, totally alone in the remote Antarctic, the penguin managed to unite us all.