Life Lessons from K-dramas

by Anushka, February 10, 2021

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Dear MDL'ers,

What are dramas to you? Is it a source of entertainment, some pleasant moments, emotional support, a pastime, a secret escape from reality, way to feel better, hideout from worries or it's just a habit, hobby or addiction for you...? Can dramas become more than that?

Why do we fall? So that we can learn to pick ourselves up - (Run On)

Is this just a dialogue from some random scene of a drama, or is this more than that? Don't you think it's a lesson we learn from our hardships and failures? Do we get more than entertainment from dramas?... Yes, we do, so I'm gonna brief those lessons of life and 'pearls of wisdom' that we learn from dramas.

The word “stranger” carries a sense of distance and unfamiliarity with it. But the truth is we’re all stranger to each other after all. Distant but close. Unfamiliar but familiar at the same time. That’s us. And that’s probably why all of us carry an array of untold stories in our hearts. - (Romance is a Bonus Book).

The way to live life, the confidence to achieving our dreams, the hope and the new sight to see the world, that's what we get from those small quotes which inspire us to do something new.

Life lessons

Dance like no one is watching. Love like you’ve never been hurt. Sing like no one is listening. Work like you don’t need the money. Live life every day as if it were your last. - (My Lovely Sam Soon).
Memories make us take responsibility, and memories serve justice. Even if it's sad, we must remember them. That's the only way we can get angry and take responsibility for our actions and do what's right. - (Circle).
In a fight, it's not winning or losing that's important. Even if you know you will lose, you still have to protect yourself. - (Prime Minister and I).
If you want to make people around you happy, you must find your own happiness first. Being selfish isn’t always a bad thing. Try to only think about your happiness when things are too stressful. It’s okay to do that. - (It's Okay to Not Be Okay)
A fair part of this unfair world is everyone lives once. What kind of life is will depend on you. - (Romance is a Bonus Book).
No one lives for death. What is important is living in that moment. Even if the end has been determined, we can still be happy and can continue to live. - (You Who Came from the Stars.).
When you are tired, get some rest. When you are sad, go ahead and cry. It's okay to do that. - (It's Okay to Not Be Okay).

"Do you know what I'm most scared of? People who jump to conclusions about me when they don't know about me." - (Dr. Romantic 2)

Relationship goals

Meeting someone in life is something that's actually astonishing. That's because he brings himself with his past, present and future, so someone's whole life comes along. - (Because This Is My First Life).
The more you love someone, the more you want to hide, you just want to show your best moments and hide the most painful things. - (Live On).
A kiss is better than a fight. - (It's Okay to Not Be Okay)
The world isn't a trustworthy place, if I'm not careful, someone may backstab me. If I open my heart, someone may come in and scar in. But it's okay as long as I have even one person to trust and rely on, it won't hurt that much, even if I get stabbed in the back. - (Healer).
Hiding your heart is a lot harder than knowing your heart. - (49 Days).

In my opinion, the most important things in any relationship are communication and trust. Sharing true feelings, opinions, points of view with each other. Trusting each other can be the best way to maintain any kind of relationship...

"We are all like books, we wait for someone to find us and open us to see what's inside."

(Romance is a Bonus Book)

"The first step is always the hardest. But once you take your first step, things will get easier from then on." (It's Okay to Not Be Okay)

We always hesitate to take the first step, it's human nature. I think it's not easy to do something new that we have never done before, that's why the first step is always the hardest one. But if we have the courage to take the first step, then the journey before us becomes easier. As we say: 'Good start is half done.'

Some bitter truths

Does time really heal all wounds, if I bear it long enough, will I forget everything? - (Love Rain)
The pain may hurt, but it will pass. If you bear it for just a little bit, it will pass by. It will all be in the past. - (Healer)
All of the things we regret during our lifetime, most of them are about what we didn't do, not what we did. - (Operation Proposal)
Rather than changing the mistakes made in the past, your will to change the present is more important. - ( My Father is Strange)
Your imagination determines the size of your fear. Fear is the fruit of your imagination - something made up by your own mind. - (Kill Me, Heal Me)
Don't ever forget the past because we are who we are today because who we were in the past. - (Tunnel)
Before holding grudges against people around you for not taking your side, think about why you haven't been able to make them stand by your side. - (You Who Came from the Stars)
No matter how important revenge is, there can be times when love goes beyond that.” - (W - Two Worlds)
Broken tools can be repaired, but broken people can't be fixed. - (Sky Castle)
Living an honest life does not mean I will be happy in life. - (Record of Youth)
An opportunity is a moment we've been waiting for... But when the moment finally comes, why do we often hesitate? That's because we're afraid of failures. - (Clean With Passion For Now).

Inspiring Quotes

If growing up means your dreams fade, I'll give up on growing up. - (Fight For My Way)
Being good at something is not the same as having a dream... Your dream may not make you rich, but still you want to do it. I think about it when I eat, I think about it when I sleep. That's what a dream is, it's what makes you happy. - (Good Doctor)
Even the blackest darkness disappears in the faintest light. - (Sweet Home)
Why look for answers that don't exist? So, instead of looking for answers, make choices. Whatever you choose, you'll be criticized. You can't make any decisions if you are afraid of criticism. - (Start-Up)
Anyone is capable of feeling sad about what's already gone. But whether you're going to make that sadness into something wonderful is entirely up to you. - (Still 17)
Fear comes from the distrust of yourself and the anxiety about the unknown. If you don't want the fear to take over you, you must trust yourself. - (Chicago Typewriter).
A Fresh Start

I untangled the twisted knot. I also took out the thorn. Without lingering attachment or regret... I straightened out my passion. I let the twisted relationship go. With a lighthearted feeling and a confident mindset... I erased yesterday with the hope of tomorrow.

by Oh Bo Young (A Poem a Day)

"Time is key. Time is the solution to some problems. If you can't find a solution now no matter how hard you rack your brain, just avoid the problem for now. If you avoid the problem for as long as possible, things could change with time."

(Hospital Playlist)

It's not always necessary for every problem to have a solution, and not every problem is always meant to solve. Sometimes we just have to let the things go. This also can be the best solution to the problem...

Just for fun:

Best pickup line - Do you like Messi? (Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo)
I ~~love~~ ~~you~~ - The moon is beautiful. (Romance is a Bonus Book)
'No touching' - Living a happy and fun life. (Mr. Queen).

My Favorites

Have you ever wandered on purpose? Today, I aimlessly wandered on purpose. Have you ever let yourself get soaked even though you had an umbrella? That’s what I did today. It was a sweltering day, and the rain totally cooled me down. After walking for 30 minutes like that, the rain stopped, and an unbelievably beautiful scene unfolded before my eyes. I saw a huge rainbow. It looked as though it’d grant me any wish. Then it suddenly hit me. It’s actually nice to wander aimlessly every once in a while. From time to time, it’d be wonderful to sail off without a map. – Dal Mi (Start-Up)

"When I first ran, I was running away. I wanted to leave everything behind and go far away. When I had stopped, I could only hear my heart thumping loudly. It felt like I had a world of my own where only I could be heard. That was the first time I made a decision on my own." - Seon Gyeom (Run On)

"My dream was to become a soccer player. But I realize dreams are just dreams. It was just a dream, and I let go of that dream so easily. I'm just glad to be able to kick a ball every now and then. Although I'd thought I'd get more chances than this..."
("Is that why you always wear sneakers?")
"You never know when the chance will come. Just like now." - Seo Dan Ah. (Run On)

" A few days ago, I said goodbye to my dog, Mongsil. I considered him my little brother. I miss him like crazy. Yesterday, I cried a lot after seeing my shoe that Mongsil chewed on. Isn't that funny? I thought he'd always be with me. I took the time we spent together was a gift. I should have been nicer to him. I regret everything these days. But then I realized something. The present moment is a gift, too. I'll miss the green of summer. In the summer, I'll miss the white snow. I've made up mind to stop filling my days with regrets " - Han Ji Pyeong (Start-Up)

I don't know why these quotes are somewhat special for me than any other quotes. I guess I relate to them, that's why. I used to overthink about the past, the mistakes I made, the wrong decisions I took, regrets of not doing something... Not just about the past, but I used to think about the future also. Then, I realized that we can't change what happened before, nor we know what will happen in future. So, rather than getting upset for what we did in past and what we're gonna do in future, why not just live in this moment, in the present. From that time, this is one principle I have: I'm not gonna never regret any decision I made for myself...

I think dramas are not only special for me because they just entertain me, but also because they inspire me to be myself, to follow my dream. And that's why dramas have become part of my life...