Updated: April 27, 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
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
KORB 