Is it terror you feel? Or is it the feeling of finally being seen?

Gritty was unveiled as the mascot of the National Hockey League’s Philadelphia Flyers in September, and at first he was greeted with confusion. The Flyers wanted him “to be somebody you wanted to high-five, but not hug,” said Brian Allen, a concept artist who sketched out its design.

Mission accomplished. He was described by the Philadelphia City Council as a “ghastly empty-eyed Muppet” and a “shaggy orange Wookiee-esque grotesquerie,” and yet, he was soon beloved.

Beyond Philadelphia, Gritty landed in a sweet spot of absurdity: He was perfect for the internet without feeling too focus-group-designed for it. He later became associated with left-wing politics — an association he neither asked for nor accepted — but Gritty stands on his own.

‘American Chopper’ meme

When arguing on the internet, people frequently simplify and distort the opposite side’s position, if they address it at all. The goal is usually to dunk on the people who are wrong, not engage with them. But in this shining meme, which was popular in March and April, we were forced to see the other side.

Based on a 2009 episode of “American Chopper,” a reality TV show that went off the air in 2010, the meme presents both sides of a legitimate argument. In these five panels, there is no comedy unless both people are making some decent points.

Somehow, a model for healthy debate on the internet included the image of a man throwing a chair in disgust.