In early 2021, a meme format called “high EQ versus low EQ” (高情商 VS 低情商) was popular on the Chinese internet. Each meme takes a blunt remark that is unpleasant to hear and rewrites it in words that make the listener feel good.
In January 2021, the tech site ifanr wrote that everyone knows the “high EQ” versions are not really high EQ. It said the format could be called “an advanced version of sarcasm” (阴阳怪气的进阶版本).