"The Lion Does Not Concern Himself" Meme Explained

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If you’ve been on TikTok recently, you’ve probably seen a ton of videos with the phrase “The lion does not concern himself with…” This silly trend pokes fun at the seriousness of a quote from Game of Thrones, but what exactly does it mean? In this article, we’ll teach you everything you need to know about the meme and its origins, as well as the related “sigma lion” meme. After all, the lion deserves to have his burning pop culture questions answered.

Explaining the “The Lion Does Not Concern Himself” Meme

“The Lion Does Not Concern Himself” TikTok Meme

“The lion does not concern himself” pokes fun at a serious quote. On TikTok, many users have begun posting videos of themselves with the phrase “The lion does not…” followed by a bad habit, personal concern, absurd thought, or anything else they find funny and provocative. They’re poking fun at the serious, edgy quote, “The lion does not concern himself with the opinions of sheep,” by turning it into something silly. User @nyashnavigator is believed to be one of the first users to post this meme in late September, which has since received over 750K likes. His version of the quote was, “The lion ignores the cough he’s consistently had for the past 4 months.” Users often chime in with their own versions in the comments, with some TikTokers saying things like, “The lion does not have health insurance,” and “The lion googles his symptoms and makes a face.” Others used the meme to convey slightly more serious feelings, like @vel__lb, who posted a video saying, “The lion does not concern himself with relationships.” A video posted by @laladeez echoes a similarly serious sentiment, stating, “The lion pretends everything is okay.”

The "Sigma Lion" Meme: What It Is and How It Relates

An earlier meme features the quote over a black-and-white image of a lion. Before the TikTok trend emerged in September 2025, the “sigma lion” meme appeared earlier in the year. It features different “the lion does not” quotes over black-and-white pictures of lions. Many of the memes riffed on the popular sigma male mindset quote, “The lion does not turn around when the small dog barks.” The sigma lion was created as a result of the “sigma male” classification trend, which defines a sigma male as an alpha male’s equal, except sigmas choose to live outside the confines of hierarchy and society. John Wick is a prime example of a sigma male. New versions of the meme feature absurd, controversial, and even borderline sociopathic statements, like “The lion does not wipe,” and “The lion does not tip minimum wage workers.” The meme originally gained traction on X and continued to spread on TikTok and Instagram.

Origins of 'The Lion Does Not Concern Himself' Quote

The meme refers to a Game of Thrones quote. In George R. R. Martin’s A Game of Thrones, the character Tywin Lannister says, “A lion doesn’t concern itself with the opinion of sheep” after his son, Jaime Lannister, says it doesn’t bother him that people call him a “kingslayer” behind his back. In the Game of Thrones TV series, this scene takes place in Season 1, Episode 7. The quote suggests that the strong shouldn’t care about what the weak have to say and encourages us to believe in ourselves and live life authentically. It can be used to convey leadership, individuality, and perseverance, especially in the face of criticism or adversity. The lion symbolizes the king of the jungle, a leader standing tall above all, while “sheep” is often used to describe people of a lesser intellect and ambition who tend to follow others instead of paving a path for themselves.