I didn’t lose control. I just… switched narratives.”

Built with imagination, binary code and algorithms and not to be confused with a work of art.

Facebook, 10th May 2025.

A steampunk-style meme featuring a man in a jacket and glasses walking away from a chaotic scene of gears and a pressure gauge exploding with sparks. The text at the top reads, "I DIDN'T LOSE CONTROL. I JUST..." and the text at the bottom reads, "...SWITCHED NARRATIVES."

The image is a digital illustration in a steampunk style, showing a man with glasses and a jacket walking away from a chaotic scene of cogs, gears, and a pressure gauge. Sparks and glowing embers fill the air behind him, suggesting a recent mechanical failure or explosion.

The text at the top of the image reads “I DIDN’T LOSE CONTROL. I JUST…” and the text at the bottom reads “…SWITCHED NARRATIVES.”

The meme’s meaning is a humorous way of reframing a situation where one has clearly lost control. Instead of admitting failure, the person in the meme presents their loss of control as a deliberate and strategic choice to change the direction of events. It’s a way of jokingly rationalising a bad outcome or a mistake as a planned, intentional act, often used in contexts where things have gone spectacularly wrong. The man’s calm demeanour while walking away from the mechanical disaster reinforces the humour of his statement.