It has become a symbol of deep thought and emotional burnout, but what is actually happening here? Is the penguin truly experiencing an existential crisis?

A single Adélie penguin waddles away from its colony. The sea—its pantry, its purpose—lies behind it. Ahead: barren Antarctic mountains, a place no penguin should go. The clip is old, filmed in 2007 ...

The penguin does not rush. It pauses, turns its head, looks back at the dark mass of its colony, and then continues walking, ...