# At First, I Was Like, But Then, I Was Like At First, I Was Like, But Then, I Was Like is a phrasal template and image macro series showing a sudden shift in reaction, with two panels of contrasting facial expressions sitting under matching captions. Traces of it go back to a 2004 forum post with emoticons, and by 2013 the format turned up on an official Batman Facebook page and in Kristen Stewart demotivational edits. ## Origin The exact first use is undocumented, but the phrasing shows up on April 5, 2004, in a My350Z forum thread about ground-wiring kits where user 12SecZ paired the "at first I was like... but then I was like" structure with text emoticons to narrate a change of mind[1]. That post predates the standard two-panel image macro and reads as a text-only ancestor of the format. Three years later, on May 27, 2007, MyConfinedSpace user Panzer uploaded an early image version using the related caption "At first I was like, but then I lol'd," which went on to collect a 4.5 out of 5 rating from site voters[4]. The My350Z thread established the phrase; the MyConfinedSpace upload established the visual grammar of pairing it with contrasting faces[1]. - **Platform:** My350Z forums (phrase) / MyConfinedSpace (early image macro) - **Creator:** Unknown - **Date:** 2004 ## Overview At First, I Was Like, But Then, I Was Like works by splitting a reaction into two beats under one caption. Panel one shows an initial response, panel two shows how the person feels after new information lands, and the shared sentence structure, "At first I was like X, but then I was like X," does the comedic heavy lifting[1]. Some versions use two different faces or screen grabs, while others repeat the exact same picture for irony[1]. Typical posts caption celebrity shots, cartoon stills, or candid photos, and three-panel variants add a "Now I'm like" tag to extend the joke[2]. A 2013 Kristen Stewart edit at Nedmartin.org used two identical photos of the actress with the overlay "Please Kristen, control your emotions," riffing on her flat affect[3]. The template also absorbed earlier catchphrase spin-offs such as "At first I was like, but then I lol'd," posted on MyConfinedSpace in May 2007 by user Panzer[1]. ## How to Use A typical build pairs two images stacked vertically with the caption "At first I was like [image/emoticon], but then I was like [image/emoticon]." Common conventions include flipping to a dramatically different expression for the second panel, or using the same picture twice when the point is that nothing actually changed. Three-panel variants often tack on a "Now I'm like" frame to show a longer-term feeling[2]. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What is At First, I Was Like, But Then, I Was Like? It is a phrasal template and image macro that pairs two panels of contrasting reactions under the sentence "At first I was like X, but then I was like X"[1]. ### Where did At First, I Was Like, But Then, I Was Like come from? The earliest documented use is an April 5, 2004, post on the My350Z forums by user 12SecZ, with an early image macro version uploaded to MyConfinedSpace by user Panzer on May 27, 2007[4]. ### What does At First, I Was Like, But Then, I Was Like mean? It describes a sudden change in opinion or feeling about something, with the two panels showing the before and after reactions[1]. ### How do you use At First, I Was Like, But Then, I Was Like? Stack two images, usually two faces or screenshots, under the matching "at first... but then" caption; some posts repeat the same picture twice to joke that nothing actually changed, as in the 2013 Kristen Stewart edit[3]. ### Is At First, I Was Like, But Then, I Was Like still popular? It is a classic 2000s template that peaked across 2007 to 2013, with later examples such as the official Batman Facebook post from March 14, 2013, showing it was still being reused in mainstream pages[1]. ## References 1. [https://my350z.com/forum/engine-and-drivetrain/68626-truth-about-the-ground-wiring-kit.html]() 2. [https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/at-first-i-was-like-but-then-i-was-like]() 3. [https://www.nedmartin.org/v3/amused/kristen-stewart-smiles]() 4. [https://www.myconfinedspace.com/2007/05/27/at-first-i-was-like-but-then-i-lold/]() 5. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrvBh6ni1O8]() 6. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPURvb7vnZs]() --- Source: https://meme.com/memes/at-first-i-was-like-but-then-i-was-like Published by meme.com — The Internet Meme Library