This Is Brilliant But I Like This Meme Template
A two-panel comparison template where one option is labeled 'brilliant' and a second, inferior option is labeled 'but I like this,' used to mock irrational preferences or self-defeating choices. It captures the gap between knowing better and doing it anyway.
Caption this template- Category
- Comparison Meme Templates
- Size
- 680 x 702 px
- Format
- Image
- Price
- Free, no sign up
Where the This Is Brilliant But I Like This meme comes from
The format draws from a scene - Likely from a film or TV show - In which a character acknowledges the quality of one thing but expresses a stubborn preference for something objectively worse. The template became popular on Reddit's meme communities for poking fun at consumer choices and personal habits.
How to caption the This Is Brilliant But I Like This meme
Put the objectively correct, efficient, or healthy choice in the 'brilliant' panel and the lazier, tastier, or more chaotic option in the 'I like this' panel. Alternatively, use it to contrast the advice you give others with the advice you follow yourself. Open it in the meme generator, or read the comparison meme guide for more.
This Is Brilliant But I Like This caption ideas
Need a starting point? Try one of these on the This Is Brilliant But I Like This template, then make it your own in the meme generator.
- Brilliant: meal-prepping a week of healthy lunches / But I like this: ordering the same takeout for the fifth night
- Brilliant: going to bed at 10pm / But I like this: scrolling until 2am
- Brilliant: the well-documented, tested solution / But I like this: my own untested 200-line function
- Brilliant: a budgeting spreadsheet / But I like this: 'checking my balance and hoping'
- Brilliant: telling my friends to rest and recover / But I like this: training on a sprained ankle
Best uses for the This Is Brilliant But I Like This template
Use the This Is Brilliant But I Like This template when the joke fits a comparison format and the image can explain the feeling before the reader finishes the caption. It is strongest for this-versus-that jokes, ranked choices, and option contrasts.
This blank is 680 x 702 px and is a still image, so place the most important words where they stay readable after a feed crop. The near-square frame is flexible for feeds, group chats, Reddit, and Discord.
The sample captions are more detailed, so trim aggressively before posting on small screens. Before exporting, read the caption once without looking at the image; if it still needs a long explanation, switch to a simpler setup or a more obvious related template.
Caption patterns to try
| Pattern | Why it works |
|---|---|
| Brilliant: meal-prepping a week of healthy lunches / But I like this: ordering the same takeout for the fifth night | This works because it gives the reader a specific situation instead of a vague label. |
| Brilliant: going to bed at 10pm / But I like this: scrolling until 2am | This pattern keeps the setup concrete, which helps the template carry the reaction. |
| Brilliant: the well-documented, tested solution / But I like this: my own untested 200-line function | This is a useful direction when you want the punchline to feel personal or self-aware. |
Common mistakes with this blank
- Writing a caption that explains the whole joke instead of letting the This Is Brilliant But I Like This image do part of the work.
- Placing text over the most expressive part of the image, especially faces, gestures, signs, or the main action.
- Using three different ideas in one meme. This template works better when it points at one clear situation.
- Exporting before checking the meme at phone size. If the smallest words blur together, shorten the caption first.
