# Perfectly Balanced > Perfectly Balanced is a 2018 catchphrase meme from *Avengers: Infinity War* featuring villain Thanos's line "as all things should be," used to caption perfectly symmetrical or equally distributed scenarios. "Perfectly balanced, as all things should be" is a catchphrase meme originating from the 2018 Marvel film *Avengers: Infinity War*. The line, spoken by the villain Thanos, became one of the most quoted phrases from the Marvel Cinematic Universe and a go-to caption for any situation involving symmetry, equal distribution, or ironic equilibrium[1]. ## Origin The quote comes from a scene in *Avengers: Infinity War* (released April 27, 2018), directed by Anthony and Joe Russo with a screenplay by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely. In the scene, Thanos (played by Josh Brolin) balances a knife on his finger while speaking to a young Gamora, explaining his belief that the universe's resources require culling half of all living beings. The specific line "Perfectly balanced, as all things should be" captured Thanos's twisted ideology in a single quotable phrase. Almost immediately after the film's theatrical release, the quote began circulating on Reddit and Twitter as a reaction to anything involving equal splits or symmetry[1]. - **Platform:** Marvel Studios (source material), Reddit / Twitter (meme spread) - **Creator:** Unknown (community-created from *Avengers: Infinity War*) - **Date:** 2018 ## Overview The "Perfectly Balanced" meme uses the Thanos quote "Perfectly balanced, as all things should be" from *Avengers: Infinity War*. In the film, Thanos delivers the line while explaining his philosophy of universal balance through eliminating half of all life. Online, the quote gets applied to anything involving equal numbers, symmetry, or satisfying equilibrium. Common uses include screenshots of like/dislike ratios sitting at exactly 50/50, evenly split polls, or any real-world situation where two opposing things happen to be perfectly equal[1]. The meme typically appears as either a standalone text caption or paired with a still image of Thanos from the film. The format is flexible enough for both sincere appreciation of actual balance and ironic commentary on destructive or absurd forms of "fairness." ## How It Spread The meme picked up speed across Reddit in the summer of 2018, particularly on r/thanosdidnothingwrong, a subreddit devoted to ironic support of Thanos's philosophy. On July 9, 2018, the subreddit carried out "The Snap," a massive coordinated event where moderators randomly banned exactly half of the sub's roughly 700,000 members to mirror Thanos's actions in the film. The event drew widespread media attention and became one of Reddit's most famous community stunts. "Perfectly balanced, as all things should be" was the phrase of the day. On Twitter and Instagram, the quote spread as a reaction caption. Users would screenshot anything showing equal numbers (YouTube like/dislike bars at 50/50, poll results split down the middle, identical scores in games) and caption it with the Thanos line[1]. The format also expanded to image macros featuring Thanos stills from the film paired with the quote. By 2019 and into the release of *Avengers: Endgame*, the phrase was firmly embedded in internet vocabulary. It crossed over from Marvel fandom into general meme culture, appearing in contexts that had nothing to do with the MCU. Physics teachers used it in class, gamers applied it to patch notes, and sports fans dropped it on tied scoreboards[1]. ## How to Use The format is simple. Find or observe any situation where two things are evenly matched, symmetrical, or split 50/50. Caption it with "Perfectly balanced, as all things should be." Common applications include: - **Screenshots** of polls, ratings, or scores that are exactly tied - **Side-by-side images** showing two equal or opposing things - **Ironic uses** where the "balance" is destructive, absurd, or undesirable (someone eating a salad alongside a pizza, for example) - **Meta uses** on Reddit or YouTube where users deliberately upvote or downvote content to reach an exact split The meme works best when the balance shown is either genuinely satisfying or comically inappropriate. The humor often comes from applying Thanos's genocidal logic to mundane everyday situations. ## Cultural Impact The r/thanosdidnothingwrong "Snap" event on July 9, 2018 was one of the largest coordinated community events in Reddit history. The subreddit's subscriber count roughly doubled in the days leading up to the ban event as users flocked to participate, and the event received coverage from major tech and entertainment outlets. The phrase crossed into offline use as well. "Perfectly balanced, as all things should be" appeared on merchandise, became a common reply in gaming communities discussing balance patches, and showed up in educational contexts where teachers used the quote to explain concepts of equilibrium in physics and chemistry[1]. Marvel Studios itself leaned into the meme's popularity, with official social media accounts occasionally referencing the Thanos balance imagery during promotional campaigns for *Endgame* and later MCU projects. ## Fun Facts - The r/thanosdidnothingwrong subreddit banned over 300,000 users during The Snap, making it one of the largest mass-ban events in Reddit history. - The quote became so associated with even splits that some YouTube comment sections developed a tradition of deliberately manipulating like/dislike ratios to 50/50 just to invoke the meme. - Josh Brolin, who played Thanos, referenced the meme's popularity in interviews, acknowledging how the line took on a life beyond the film. - In educational settings, physics and chemistry teachers adopted the quote when teaching about chemical equilibrium and balanced forces[1]. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What is "Perfectly Balanced"? "Perfectly balanced, as all things should be" is a catchphrase meme from the 2018 film *Avengers: Infinity War*, spoken by the villain Thanos. It's used online as a reaction to anything involving symmetry or equal distribution[1]. ### Where did "Perfectly Balanced" come from? The quote originates from a scene in *Avengers: Infinity War* (2018) where Thanos explains his philosophy of universal balance to young Gamora while balancing a knife on his finger[1]. ### What does "Perfectly Balanced" mean? In the film, Thanos uses it to justify wiping out half of all life. As a meme, it's applied humorously to any situation where two things are evenly split or in equilibrium[1]. ### How do you use "Perfectly Balanced"? Find any image, screenshot, or situation showing an exact 50/50 split, tied score, or symmetrical outcome. Caption it with the Thanos quote. The format also works ironically for situations where the "balance" is absurd or undesirable[1]. ### Is "Perfectly Balanced" still popular? The meme hit peak usage in 2018-2019 during the *Infinity War* and *Endgame* era, and while posting frequency dropped after the MCU hype cycle cooled, the phrase is still widely recognized and regularly used in gaming, sports, and general internet contexts[1]. ### What was the Reddit Thanos Snap event? On July 9, 2018, the subreddit r/thanosdidnothingwrong randomly banned half of its approximately 700,000 subscribers to recreate Thanos's snap from the film. It became one of Reddit's most famous community events. ### Who says "Perfectly Balanced" in the movie? Thanos, played by Josh Brolin, delivers the line in *Avengers: Infinity War* during a flashback scene with young Gamora[1]. ### Why do people comment "Perfectly Balanced" on YouTube videos? Users comment the phrase whenever a video's like/dislike ratio is close to 50/50, or when any visible number in the video is evenly split. Some communities actively coordinate votes to create the balance[1]. ## References 1. [One Battle After Another]() 2. [Perfectly Balanced - Urban Dictionary]() --- Source: https://meme.com/memes/perfectly-balanced Published by meme.com — The Internet Meme Library