12 Important life lessons learned from K-dramas

by KD Bonbon on Tue, Apr 28, 2015

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While dramas are, of course, not real life, they contain some really important life lessons that all K-drama addicts realize at one point or another.  K-drama characters go through a lot of drama.  They aren't called Korean dramas for nothing!  Therefore, they have a lot they can teach us about life. 

Below are 12 life lessons that I've learned from watching K-dramas.  What lessons have you learned? 

1.  Pretending to be someone you're not always backfires

Ask any K-drama character and they’ll tell you, pretending to be something or someone you’re not will always backfire on you.  People will find out the secrets you’re hiding, and they will call you out on them.  Trying to fool people into thinking you are someone else can make them resent you and not trust you.  And although in K-dramas things usually work out in the end, real life is not a K-drama, and you never know how relationships can be ruined if you are dishonest. 

There’s something about sharing a pot of ramen, instant or homemade, that really brings people together.  The staple Japanese noodles are so prevalent in K-dramas that you’ll probably see at least one person helping themselves to a big steaming bowl of deliciousness.  You’ll also notice from watching dramas that sharing ramen is a great way to get to know someone and will undoubtedly bring two characters closer together.  So next time you’re looking to get closer with your crush, recommend ramen!  And remember, when eating ramen, slurping is sexy. 

Korean mothers are tough cookies!  Whether they are cold and calculating or supportive and enthusiastic, Korean mothers will do whatever they need to do to protect and do what they think is right for their children.  Even if that means going against their child’s wishes.  But in the end, most Korean mothers are loving and have their children’s best interests at heart. 

There are so many epic bromances in Korean dramas!  Sure, they may fight or compete against each other occasionally, but that’s the nature of the bromance!  No matter what happens, they’re always there for each other.  There’s nothing like good friends who will always be by your side! 

There’s so much sadness that happens in K-dramas that you learn pretty quickly to surround yourself with people who make you happy.  You may have to fight for that happiness — but it is worth fighting for!  Whether it be a friend or a romantic interest, hold on to those people who are always there for you, who make you laugh, who surprise you, and who make your life brighter. 

On the other side of holding on to those who make you happy, you should rid your life of people who make you unhappy.  These are the people who are always competing with you, who take you for granted, who don’t have your best interest at heart, or who are not there for you when you hit rock bottom.  Cheon Song Yi says it perfectly, “When I hit bottom this time, there were a lot of times I felt like the pits.  But there’s one good thing about it.  It filters out people.  Who is really on my side, and who disguised themselves as being on my side.  When life tests us, I wonder if it’s God giving us the chance to filter out the real from the fake.”  Forget those fake people and move on.  You’ll be better for it. 

Soju comes in such nice green bottles and you drink it out of cute little cups— what could go wrong?  A lot.  Drinking too much of any alcohol usually isn’t a good choice, but dramas have definitely taught me to be weary of soju.  It typically leads to passing out in the bar saying things you never meant to say out loud or getting into drunken arguments on the street.  If you’re upset, have some ramen!  Stay away from the soju. 

Having big burly guys chasing after me to get the money I borrowed back?  No thanks!  Thankfully, I’ve never personally encountered a loan shark (counting my blessings), and based on what I have seen in K-dramas, I wouldn’t wish that fate on anyone! 

This is the sad truth behind Second Lead Syndrome.  Unfortunately, nice guys don’t always get the girl.  Despite all their kindness and effort, the nice guys don’t always pull ahead of the main bad boy.  But the heart wants what it wants I guess...

Even if they don’t always follow their own advice, K-dramas definitely teach you the importance of honesty.  Especially being honest with yourself.  There’s a lot of denial that happens in K-drama — denying one’s true self, denying the person one loves, denying the reality of one’s situation… All this denial gets the characters nowhere!  It isn’t until they cut the crap and start being honest that things begin to move forward. 

The ultimate lesson learned from K-dramas: don’t be afraid to love.  There are a lot of things to be scared of (loan sharks being one of them), but you should never be afraid to love.  K-dramas show us over and over again that love is difficult and it can be a scary prospect to be vulnerable.  But it is worth it.