“Hard Times Create Strong Men, Strong Men Create Good Times, Good Times Create Weak Men, Weak Men Create Hard Times” is a catchphrase of modern traditionalist and neofascist movements. The cyclical narrative that the phrase proposes can often go hand-in-hand with traditionalist interpretations of the Kali Yuga, appropriated from Hinduism. The phrase was lifted from a novel released in 2016.

Popular formats of the meme demonstrate hatred towards identifiable groups like by labelling them as “weak”. These memes often target Pride events specifically. The phrase also emerged in a popular meme with each statement appearing on a different segment of a political compass meme, with authoritarian right-wing politics representing “Strong Men”. This meme is used specifically to the idea of strong men with that of fascism.

Although it was popularized in fascist contexts, the saying has been normalized and is sometimes referenced in non-hateful parodies that are far removed from the ideologies behind its early use.