Updated: May 18, 2026
Here’s a collection of quotes from the Korean drama, We Are All Trying Here (2026):
Episode 1
“People are meant to be inspiring, not infuriating.” – Director Park Gyeong Se
“Keep that up and you’ll end up like me.” – Hwang Dong Man
“Poverty is something etched into every cell of your body. It’s not something you can learn. Perseverance born from poverty makes you very perceptive.” – Hwang Dong Man
“For a writer, poverty is a blessing sent by the gods.” – Hwang Dong Man
“I’m the definition of poor.” – Hwang Dong Man
“Everyone has a word that makes their heart pound.” – Hwang Dong Man
“How do you tell the same story like it’s the first time? I’ve heard this exact story at least five or six times.” – Director Park Gyeong Se
“Your native language carries depth and soul. Actors have to pour their soul into their acting, so why make them speak a foreign language?” – Hwang Dong Man
“What happens when you cut off 98% of your relationships? Nothing. No problem at all. It’s hard enough even if you’re around competent people.” – CEO Choi Dong Hyeon
“I’m not lounging around. I’m brainstorming. You think writing comes that easy?” – Hwang Dong Man
“Real work is when you wake up, wash up, get out there, grit your teeth, and die trying! Everyday!” – Hwang Jin Man
“If I die trying everyday, I’ll actually die!” – Hwang Dong Man
“Talking gives me energy. I feel awake when my voice resonates through my body. It’s like the vibration of my own voice wakes me up or something.” – Hwang Dong Man
“If I have nobody to talk to, I go to the rooftop and shout my name. Everything my voice reaches is mine. That tree is mine. That boulder is mine. It’s about projecting myself.” – Hwang Dong Man
“Once my voice reaches something, it no longer feels completely unrelated to me. That’s how it feels.” – Hwang Dong Man
“How can you tell if the world has ended or not? It comes down to the weather. As long as there are clouds in the sky, wind in the air, and leaves stirring in the breeze, as long as weather exists, the world hasn’t ended.” – Hwang Dong Man
“Why get so upset over a movie just because you didn’t enjoy it?” – Seung Tae
“This might sound harsh, but if a person isn’t appealing, their writing won’t be either.” – Producer Choi Hyo Jin
“If I can’t prove myself by succeeding, I’ll prove myself by falling apart!” – Hwang Dong Man
“How can you tell if the world has ended or not? It comes down to the weather. When depression pressed down on me like a heavy iron weight, and I couldn’t even sit up, all I wanted was weather.” – Hwang Dong Man
“If only the weather could change, if only there were a machine that could create any type of weather, I wonder what kind of weather I’d create right now.” – Hwang Dong Man
“People crave power. Every single person. That’s why they want a protagonist who can survive any situation, never gets exhausted, pushes through challenges confidently, and comes out on top like it’s the most natural thing. They want to experience that epic, explosive moment.” – Euna
“A creator can’t create what they don’t possess.” – Euna
“Why do you think it’s not working for you?” – CEO Choi Dong Hyeon
“If he doesn’t say anything, he’d feel like he doesn’t even exist. So how could he stay quiet?” – Euna
“Instead of holding onto what won’t work out and getting jealous of other people’s success, start living more constructively and productively from now on.” – CEO Choi Dong Hyeon
“Why does my life have to please you, sir?” – Hwang Dong Man
Episode 2
“There are only two things he does all day. Dying from jealousy when someone does well, and dying from happiness when he sees someone fail.” – Director Park Gyeong Se
“People who are bitter about their own failures drag others down.” – Director Park Gyeong Se
“There are two kinds of people in the world. Those who dedicate themselves to their own path, and those who dedicate themselves to tearing others down. Do you know why the latter will never stop tearing others down? Because it’s the only way they can feel superior to everyone else.” – Director Park Gyeong Se
“I hate it when people say, ‘heal the soul’. I just need something to lift my mood!” – Hwang Dong Man
“What’s there to life? Nothing! But we can’t just die either, so we need enough strength to get through the day! That’s why people watch movies and eat good food! That’s why people go on trips, fall in love, have sex, get hammered all night long, and yell at the top of our lungs!” – Hwang Dong Man
“All I want is to not feel anxious.” – Hwang Dong Man
“You’re human, but you’re not humane. Isn’t that peak incompetence?” – Euna
“I’ve never heard anything so hurtful in my life. My heart started pounding like crazy. Even more than unemployed.” – Hwang Dong Man
“How do people gain power? Like a hyena searching for prey at the foot of a mountain, I went searching for power. But I failed, so I’m heading home right now.” – Hwang Dong Man
“Do you happen to know where they sell power? I’d like to buy some.” – Hwang Dong Man
“Maybe if you love someone… What if the protagonist was driven by his love for his niece or nephew who wants to see the weather? Or maybe for his beloved older brother? Then his heart would race because he’d do anything to make it happen.” – Euna
“i realized something as I read your screenplay. This director has nothing that he loves.” – Euna
“Being in love made everything easy. But when it ended, I realized that things I’d forgotten, and thought were gone, was still there. It never left. This crippling lethargy.” – Euna
“If you want to be different from him, then prove you’re different.” – Hye Jin
“You’re pitching a fit because you’re just the same.” – Hye Jin
“If you’re truly on a whole different level, you have to prove it yourself, instead of whining and bitching about how different you two are.” – Hye Jin
“When I was young, I felt hopeless and I couldn’t breathe. I still feel the same way, but now there’s an additional feeling. The feeling of having witnessed their weakness. And that makes me feel like I could fight them.” – Euna
“You divide people into classes, keeping the successful, shiny ones close, while treating others like me as if we’ve got some contagious disease and trying to shove us aside. Go ahead and try building a shiny world with just the shiny people. It won’t shine at all.” – Hwang Dong Man
“Brace yourselves. You’ll end up waving a white flag. And finally! I’m going to pull up the shiny truth from the very depths of my worthlessness. Look forward to my shiny story.” – Hwang Dong Man
“I just fell in love with myself. I love this guy.” – Hwang Dong Man
“When I get nosebleeds from stress, it’s my body telling me I’m killing myself. It shows how powerful the mind is.” – Euna
“We’re in sync.” – Hwang Dong Man
“You’re more beautiful than the weather.” – Hwang Dong Man
Episode 3
“Whenever I hear the name of anyone who wrote me off, my heart pounds immediately.” – Byeon Euna
“All names disrespect me, and I disrespect all names.” – Hwang Dong Man
“Wearing this watch made one thing very clear. I’m a destructive person.” – Hwang Dong Man
“Words like love or peace bore me to death. But revenge, destruction, or retribution? When I hear such words, my eyes sparkle.” – Hwang Dong Man
“You seem like someone with a thousand doors wide open.” – Byeon Euna
“You’re way cooler. You’re much more raw and much warmer.” – Byeon Euna
“You can never force your emotions to change. When you feel down, pick up a 500-won coin on the street. Like a small win. That’s what can change your mood. Willpower can’t make that happen.” – Hwang Dong Man
“You’re just a nobody. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing!” – Director Park Gyeong Se
“It really hurts to wish the worst on someone I used to like. It feels like acid being poured on my heart. But I won’t take it anymore.” – Byeon Euna
“A man on the verge of success is easily blinded. And they can easily become a bad guy.” – Hye Jin
“People who remain blinded and driven by ruthless ambition and selfish desires are not allowed here.” – Hye Jin
“Will you get yourself banned or will you be someone who lives with shame for a long time?” – Hye Jin
“When I’m with someone who likes me, I become really gentle. My body responds. My blood pressure and heart rate drop.” – Hwang Dong Man
“If you show me an ounce of kindness, I’ll do anything for you. So why do I have to be kind to people who hate me?” – Hwang Dong Man
“I’m like a litmus test strip. If the other person is acidic, I’m acidic, too. If they’re alkaline, I’m alkaline as well.” – Hwang Dong Man
“Do you know what my emotion watch says whenever I see my friends? Anxious. I had no idea I felt that anxious. If I wedge myself into a place where I’m not welcome, how could I not feel anxious?” – Hwang Dong Man
“You’re not brave enough to grow old and die on your own. So find a woman.” – Hwang Jin Man
“People who like me ease my anxiety, so I don’t have to act out like crazy.” – Hwang Dong Man
“Whenever I come across a similar situation, I’m right back at that moment, paralyzed with fear. Back to when I was helpless.” – Byeon Euna
“Can you guess what just popped up? Shocked. Flustered. Worried. It didn’t say excited. I was really surprised. I’m not a destructive person! I’m not a monster!” – Hwang Dong Man
Episode 4
“And you know what they said? ‘When I feel loved, I feel at ease and sleep deeply, like I’ve never slept before.’ I slept like a baby last night.” – Hwang Dong Man
“A wanted poster is better than a memorial photo. So attack, don’t self-destruct. Attack.” – Hwang Dong Man
“For as long as I can remember, I’ve never seen people as just people. I saw them as masses. Masses of emotion.” – Byeon Euna
“It’s like a person isn’t made of flesh and blood. Instead, they’re made from one emotion that keeps building over a lifetime.” – Byeon Euna
“I’ve always wondered why people on the subway look so ugly. But I guess it wasn’t their faces. It was their emotions that were ugly.” – Hwang Dong Man
“You know why kids are cute? Because their emotions haven’t formed yet.” – Byeon Euna
“But isn’t anxiety just part of human nature? We exist as separate individuals, so how can we not feel anxious?” – Hwang Dong Man
“I’m afraid of silence. I’m afraid the truth might pop out of nowhere in the silence. Like boom.” – Hwang Dong Man
“When it’s quiet, I feel like a Gollum-like demon will appear and whisper in my ear, ‘You are worthless’.” – Hwang Dong Man
“What’s the root of all mental illnesses? Refusing to face reality.” – Director Park Gyeong Se
“When depression pressed down on me like a heavy iron weight, and I couldn’t even sit up, all I wanted was weather. If it were a warm, spring day, if cherry blossoms were in the air…” – Hwang Dong Man
“It feels like you’re going to die, but you don’t actually die.” – Hwang Dong Man
“Some things are worth a fight, and some aren’t.” – Hwang Dong Man
“Don’t fight the thing that’s giving you a hard time, Euna. It’s like sleep paralysis. If you just ignore it, it’ll pass. Just let it go on its way.” – Hwang Dong Man
“I want to see someone living on the opposite side of the world and feel that I exist there, too. All for one, one for all.” – Hwang Dong Man
“Stringing letters together isn’t writing. You have to make people feel something.” – Hwang Dong Man
“I’ve always struggled to deal with people who walk all over me. Should I avoid them or put them in their place? I always chose to avoid them. But this time, I’m going to put them in their place.” – Byeon Euna
“I’m a quiet person, but I’m not a weak pushover.” – Byeon Euna
“Joking is the only thing that makes me feel like I exist. If I stop talking, I’m dead.” – Hwang Dong Man
“What’s life? It’s one long story. When the story ends, so does life. So don’t stop me from making jokes. It’s the same thing as killing me.” – Hwang Dong Man
“Even if the world ends tomorrow, I’ll keep cracking jokes because it’s the only proof of my existence!” – Hwang Dong Man
Episode 5
“Because you hated me first. Why made you hate me so much?” – Hwang Dong Man
“I feel proud because I really fell apart today. It’s the feeling of a day well spent.” – Hwang Dong Man
“Doing it alone is exhausting. It’s less exhausting when you have someone telling you whether it’s good or not.” – Byeon Euna
“I’ll stay by your side and watch you.” – Byeon Euna
“I’m the kind of guy who’s anxious by default, so my watch turns red all the time.” – Hwang Dong Man
“They say love doesn’t appear. Because love is a concept, not an emotion.” – Byeon Euna
“How would you even detect love? Everyone’s definition of love is different.” – Hwang Dong Man
“A poem makes sense once you memorize it. You won’t get it just by reading it.” – Hwang Jin Man
“Nothing’s more boring than formal writing. I hate hearing about crap like authencity and story structure. You just have to write recklessly and perform recklessly.” – Actress Miran
“If we only work with directors who have already proven themselves, who will discover the breakout rookie directors?” – Byeon Euna
“I wish I had an older brother. A crazy-ass older brother.” – Byeon Euna
“When you read someone’s work, you can see right through them. Like what they’re thinking, what kind of person they are, or how they’ve lived.” – Hwang Dong Man
“Writing is like blood, so you can’t transfuse it unless it’s the same type. It clots and tangles.” – Hwang Dong Man
“Unlike you, that shining woman sets aside her own greed and desire and picks up the ones that are about to get scrapped. Isn’t it remarkable that she uses her talent for what others would toss out?” – Hwang Dong Man
“Thank you. Thanks to you, my watch turned green for the first time today.” – Hwang Dong Man
“We all use other people’s stories all the time.” – Yeong Su
“How many good stories has he let slip by? If he just wrote about his own stories, he’d have made three or four films by now. He doesn’t realize how good his stories are and keeps trying to force something out.” – Yeong Su
“It must’ve been really hard for you. That was a beautiful confession. You deserve a round of applause.” – Yeong Su
“I want him all to myself and then give everything back to him. So he can see how brilliant he really is.” – Byeon Euna
“I’m not even hoping for success. I just want to make one film. So I can overcome this feeling of worthlessness, even just a little.” – Hwang Dong Man
Episode 6
“I should’ve fallen in love. Instead of struggling to make words come together, I should’ve fallen in love.” – Hwang Dong Man
“The only girls in my life were those who dreaded sitting next to me in class until a woman as shiny as a blade walked in.” – Hwang Dong Man
“You know people are fragile, and that a single glance or word can send them to heaven or hell.” – Byeon Euna
“But happy imaginations don’t last long before they fall apart. Why is that? Is it because I haven’t really been happy?” – Hwang Dong Man
“What’s your purpose in life? What kind of person do you want to be? I’m not taking about being successful. A lot of successful people are idiots. ‘This is the kind of person I want to be’. That kind of person.” – Hwang Jin Man
“I’m going to become a strong mother. Not the type of strength that comes from money or connections. I want to become a mother who remains calm in any situation. The kind who stands ready at the center so that her presence puts everyone around her at ease. That’s the kind of woman I want to be. Like my grandmother.” – Byeon Euna
“You’re all desperate to make it big, but you have this pathetic idea that accepting help makes you weak and ruins your perfect image.” – Ko Hye Jin
“Saying I love you doesn’t make me feel guilty, and saying that I do doesn’t benefit me at all, okay?” – Ko Hye Jin
“Sometimes when you speak, it feels like our surroundings turn into a vacuum.” – Hwang Dong Man
“You think we were best friends just because we lived together?” – Hwang Dong Man
“You need to start your engine. Then it’ll come out on its own. It’ll come out while you’re sleeping, or while you’re taking a crap. It’ll just pour out nonstop. We all have an engine inside us.” – Hwang Dong Man
“Both of us are frivolous. We’re too shallow and can’t dive deep. That’s why our writing is full of seaweed, and not a single abalone or conch.” – Hwang Dong Man
“Have some watermelon instead of always licking the surface. You’ve got to taste the sweetness.” – Hwang Dong Man
“People with nothing better to do get their entertainment from watching celebrities crash and burn. Let them enjoy it for a few more days.” – Oh Jeong Hui
“Days like this are worth living. If you’ve gone far away, it would be a good day to come back.” – Hwang Jin Man
“Do you know the biggest flaw in the characters you’ve been playing? It’s that they know how to use their heads. But you don’t know how to use yours.” – Byeon Euna
“I’m not even hoping for success. I just don’t want to be miserable.” – Hwang Dong Man
“Is it better that we all succeed together, or that we all go down together?” – Hwang Dong Man
“Going down isn’t so bad. As long as we’re together.” – Hwang Dong Man
“It’s funny, you know. When I’m deep in my feelings, I don’t hate you. I don’t hate you when I’m really happy. And I don’t hate you when I feel really sad.” – Hwang Dong Man
“Are you still ashamed of me? Do you want me to disappear somewhere far away? Or are you trying to save yourself by taking back the daughter you abandoned?” – Byeon Euna
“Without this pain, that woman would be completely innocent.” – Byeon Euna
“Help me. It’s a cry for help. The 7% of desperation is help me. Help me. Words I’ve never spoken in my life. Help me.” – Hwang Dong Man
“What kind of weather should I make you? Tell me what kind of weather you like and I’ll make it for you.” – Hwang Dong Man
“I like any kind of wind.” – Byeon Euna
“A happy imagination, complete.” – Hwang Dong Man
Episode 7
“There’s a worst kind of feeling I never want to go through. It’s hard to put into words. It’s like being trapped in a hole that’s only 30 cm wide but 100 m deep, unable to move an inch.” – Hwang Dong Man
“To pull you out from self-destruction, I threw myself into that emotion, dove deep into it, and found the words to save you. Words I’ve never spoken in my life. Help me. But the words I found to save you ended up saving me instead.” – Hwang Dong Man
“No one comes into your life by mistake.”
“When you get out of a worst-case situation, it suddenly opens up a new perspective, and everything you struggled with before starts to feel trivial.” – Hwang Dong Man
“Success? Debuting? Screw all that. If I had just one wish in life, it would be to die of old age. I hope cats, trees, and all living things die of old age. Not from illness, not from agony.” – Hwang Dong Man
“I hope everything dies of old age, like leaves falling from a tree.” – Hwang Dong Man
“Why does winter feel more serene?” – Hwang Dong Man
“You’re different. You know exactly where I’m stuck and where I need to focus emotionally so I can really take off.” – Hwang Dong Man
“Whenever I feel like I’m being abandoned, like my boyfriend leaving me or things going badly at work, my whole body aches and I get nosebleeds. When I traced these symptoms back to the source, they led to one person. The first person who wrote me off. My mom.” – Byeon Euna
“The woman who gave birth to me was such a weak woman. That’s when I decided that I’m going to become a strong mother and a strong woman.” – Byeon Euna
“You’re a little embarrassing but very lovable.” – Byeon Euna
“Who would dare abandon you? Who would dare write you off? Feel free to use me until I’m no longer needed. I’ll be here waiting for you if you return.” – Hwang Dong Man
“One month is enough to read someone. Even one day is enough.” – Hwang Dong Man
“You have this ability to bring people back down to earth. I’m always floating around and going all over the place when I talk, but when I’m with you, I gracefully come back down to earth.” – Jang Miran
“It feels like we’re here in the moment, right? But actually, we’re just reminiscing.” – Byeon Euna
“Is this my memory or yours?” – Hwang Dong Man
“My emotions are controlled by the other person. If they like me, I’m relieved. If they don’t, I’m anxious. I’m at the mercy of other people’s emotions because I soak them up like a sponge.” – Hwang Dong Man
“My wish is to die of old age. Not from agony, not from humiliation. I want to die of old age.” – Hwang Dong Man
“The most dreadful thing in the world is an incompetent man. An incompetent man is nothing more than a castrated male.” – Oh Jeong Hui
“When I look at the streets, I don’t see people walking. I see masses of emotion walking around. You can see their complete emotional state in every step they take and every expression they make. That’s why I don’t see them as people but as masses of emotion.” – Byeon Euna
“Do you know what mass of emotion you are? A mass of contempt. Have you ever looked at someone sitting across from you without contempt? You find everyone pathetic, and you don’t like anyone.” – Byeon Euna
“I wish I had been born from a bamboo shoot. It would’ve been so nice to have been born out of thin air, with no need for sperms, eggs, a mother, or a father.” – Byeon Euna
“A mother rejecting a child for not being good enough is one thing. But a mother who clings to a successful one like a leech is even worse. So don’t ever act like we’re close.” – Byeon Euna
Episode 8
“I have a feeling, but I can’t explain it.” – Hwang Dong Man
“How do you translate abstract thoughts into concrete words?” – Byeon Euna
“When I watch snow falling heavily or anything similar, I feel myself thinning out.” – Hwang Dong Man
“A part of me wants to cover the whole world with me, and a part of me wants to thin out. I think both exist in me.” – Hwang Dong Man
“You two are soulmates. You’ll never split up. Just keep living like that.” – Ko Hye Jin
“I enjoy watching people who walk all over me.” – Byeon Euna
“What’s wrong with movies and dramas these days? They’re boring.” – Noh Kang Sik
“You’re free to hate whoever you want, but don’t ruin something someone poured everything into.” – Ko Hye Jin
“I respect Park Gyeong Se. He keeps writing and keeps creating. He takes the ridicule and keeps going. He cries for days with tears and snot running down his face. Then he steps into the ring again.” – Ko Hye Jin
“Watching him gives me strength and gives me hope that I can bounce back like that one day.” – Byeon Euna
“Giving me money and dictating how I spend it is crossing the line.” – Byeon Euna
“If that were my last call with you, I wanted to be cool.” – Hwang Dong Man
“The moment you start using words like death, grief, or pain in a poem, it’s no good.” – Hwang Jin Man
“You can’t write a diary unless you can imagine someone reading it someday. It’s the hope of being read. All writing begins with the hope of being read. That disgusting hope to be seen.” – Hwang Jin Man
“When you see something good, the words I love you just slip out.” – Ko Hye Jin
“You are so dead. Step into the ring and get your ass kicked. You can’t run away.” – Ko Hye Jin
Episode 9
“A caged lion isn’t intimidating. I can make fun of its whiskers or call it odd or whatever. Until now, I’ve treated movies like a caged lion. But now, it’s time to face the lion. I either have to run for my life or face it head-on.” – Hwang Dong Man
“Not a single person in this world wants you to succeed. Except your parents.” – Ko Hye Jin
“But I’m even more afraid of looking pathetic if I admit I’m scared.” – Hwang Dong Man
“Fear isn’t something you endure. You can’t endure it. What kind of reward justifies putting up with that?” – Byeon Euna
“When I was young, there was only one reason I wanted to grow up. So I could leave at any time. So I wouldn’t have to endure going through hell.” – Byeon Euna
“If you want to run away together, I’ll run away with you. If you want to live in hiding forever, I’ll hide with you.” – Byeon Euna
“Maybe fear is only in our imagination. When you actually face it, it might not be scary.” – Hwang Dong Man
“Are my thoughts the real me or is my body the real me? My thoughts can go anywhere and do anything. My thoughts can do everything, so isn’t that the real me?” – Byeon Sion
“My mind is a mess, but I look too normal. So I messed up my face to match my mind.” – Jang Miran
“It’s acting. Don’t do it for real. Just make it feel real.” – Oh Jeong Hui
“There is no evil in me. But there is strength.” – Hwang Dong Man
Episode 10
“When someone comes at us hard, our hearts sink, and we think, ‘Did I do something wrong?’ We blame ourselves too easily.” – Byeon Euna
“Self-reflection is the language of the weak. Have you ever seen bad people reflect on their actions?” – Byeon Euna
“I’m so happy to have relationships like this where we can be crazy together.” – Jang Miran
“Don’t get too caught up in life. Don’t get caught up in happiness or sadness either.” – Hwang Jin Man
“I’m going to become rich, so go ahead and stay poor.” – Ko Hye Jin
“If you want to work with me, move up to where I am. But for now, just stay where you are and stick to those on your level.” – Noh Kang Sik
“Kids these days have too much ambition and just come at you.” – Noh Kang Sik
“It’s ambition when you’re capable. It’s greed when you’re not. If I’m clearly capable, why should I crush my ambitions and hold myself back?” – Oh Jeong Hui
“When will you ever shine if you hide behind a pseudonym?” – Oh Jeong Hui
“To live lightly. To let go of everything I can, not forming deep attachments to anything and living lightly.” – Hwang Jin Man
“Everyone probably struggled to write these. But no one reads them and they just get thrown away. What’s the point of all this? Everything disappears in the end anyway. So why are we living such hard lives as if we’ll never disappear? As if we’ll never disappear.” – Hwang Dong Man
“Life is nothing without stories. You might as well be dead without stories.” – Hwang Dong Man
Genre: Slice-of-life
Also known as: Everyone Is Fighting Their Own Worthlessness
Synopsis: The story of people who search for inner peace amid a life of envy and jealousy when everyone else appears to be winning.
No. of episodes: 12
Cast: Koo Kyo Hwan, Go Youn Jung, Oh Jung Se, Kang Mal Geum, Park Jae Joon
Screenwriter: Park Hae Young
Director: Cha Young Hoon
Network: JTBC
Streaming platform: Netflix
Date: April 18, 2026
Netflix English subtitle translation:
Jenny Kim
Images: JTBC
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