Hide the Pain Harold

Behind those eyes, there is only pain.

In 2010, a Hungarian electrical engineer named András Arató posed for stock photographs during a vacation in Turkey. The photographer liked his look and invited him for a professional shoot. Arató agreed, resulting in hundreds of stock images of a smiling older man in various mundane situations.

But there was something about that smile. Something hollow. Something haunted. The internet noticed.

By September 2011, the images began circulating as "Hide the Pain Harold"—a man whose smile couldn't quite mask the existential despair lurking behind his eyes. Every image told the same story: a man trying his best to project happiness while clearly dying inside. It was funny because it was relatable. We are all, in our own way, Hide the Pain Harold.

The meme peaked between 2014-2016, spawning countless image macros exploring the vast territory of poorly-concealed emotional suffering. Harold became a symbol for anyone who had ever been asked "how are you?" and answered "fine" while absolutely not being fine.

On March 3, 2016, Arató revealed his identity on Russian social media, confirming what the internet had long suspected: he was just a regular guy who had accidentally become the face of suppressed anguish. Rather than fight his fame, Arató embraced it. He gave a TEDx talk in Kyiv about becoming a "meme-hero" and seemed genuinely tickled by his unexpected legacy.

The irony? András Arató is by all accounts a happy man. The pain was never real—just the universal human experience of putting on a brave face when you'd rather be anywhere else.

We're all hiding something, Harold. Thanks for reminding us.