Welcome to the 3rd part of the list of impactful lines and life lessons from the Korean drama 18 Again. If you have read the first two parts, thank you, and I hope you'll keep reading until the last one.
"You don't have to be embarrassed about losing."
Some Korean dramas I have watched before have talked about losing already and this is a good reminder that there's nothing to be ashamed of if we lose.
Whether you joined in a basketball game, a school quiz bee, or a singing or writing contest, but you lose, there's nothing to be humiliated about it. What matters is that you tried your chance and you gained experience from it. After all, losing is what makes winning sweeter.
So if you want to participate in a certain contest or event or you want to pursue something that you have been wanting to do in life but you are hesitant about it because you're afraid that you might lose and people might make fun of you for it, just remember that some opportunities only come in life once so grab them when they come knocking on your door.
"Violence isn't the answer to everything."
When you are in a heated argument or misunderstanding with someone, never resort to violence because it will never solve a problem, and it will only make things worse. A problem can never be solved by another problem. Instead, be more understanding, listen with compassion, and communicate properly.
However, according to Hong Dae Young, there are times when violence could be put to good work and that is when your loved ones are being bullied or insulted or put in danger. That's the time when violence could be an answer.
I also like that learning self-defense when you are in a dangerous situation such as when someone is harassing you was highlighted in the drama. We are living in a cruel world so as a woman, it is a must to know how to protect yourself from harmful people out there.
"Making a living is supposed to be hard."
When life itself is already hard and making a living makes life even harder, especially when your working environment is just so toxic and draining.
It's so hard to live our lives the way we want to, pursue the things we are passionate about and do the things we love doing when we have to make a living first. Sometimes, when you are hit by reality, you even have to give up on your goals and dreams just so you could live.
So if you are making a living now just to support yourself and your family while trying to grind for the life you want to have, just keep going. Sometimes, you would feel like you are carrying the weight of the world upon your shoulders, but don't be discouraged and just be strong and never give up. Always remember that there's always a light at the end of the tunnel.
"What's so bad about being ambitious?"
They say that one of the worst things in life is not having dreams and goals because you may be living your life meaninglessly. You don't know where to go or what you want to achieve and you're just like going around circles.
However, being an ambitious person myself, I think one of the bad things about having so many big dreams, huge goals, and being too ambitious is that it can be dangerous too. Sometimes, having the drive to achieve everything we want in life, we could do some things we shouldn't do because we are pressuring ourselves to attain them. We might even put others and ourselves in danger.
Being ambitious is not bad but to some extent, it could be dangerous too. So it's better to be the master of your goals than let your goals control yourself.
"A decision I can stand by."
When making a decision, what factors do you have to consider first? Is it as long as it pleases other people but destroys your inner peace? Or is it a decision that you can stand by because you know to yourself that it is the best for everyone, including yourself?
Most of the time, we make rash decisions without thinking too much about them. We even decide based on our emotions and not rational thinking. And sometimes, we end up regretting the decisions we make. So before making a decision, consider some factors first so that you won't regret anything in life.
Great article! To your first point, I'd say losing is learning too. At least that's what I'd say to my 18 year old self if I had the chance to. At 18, the world can be really scary and we might be conditioned to think purely in terms of success and failure, and we might think that losing defines who we are, when in truth and in fact, it doesn't.
Growing up, I've been in situations where I didn't want to try something unless victory was certain, but as I grew older I understood the importance of losing and losing gracefully, and also about just participating in different things for the lessons and the experience and not just to make it about winning or losing. Because honestly, when you lose and you learn, you build character.
I'd say the same about life being hard. I mightn't agree wholeheartedly that life is supposed to be hard, but I'd say, if it is, so what? All soil isn't soft, but plants can still grow, right? And if life isn't easy, it doesn't mean that anything is wrong with you, neither does it mean that you should give. It's just one of those things that we have to roll with. And if you see a silver lining in every cloud, like I try to, then a hard life might just be that an opportunity for you to grow strong and sturdy too.
And yes, I agree, make decisions that you can live with, not to please anyone, and be sure to think through the implications of those decisions before rushing to them. Those are my thoughts, and like I said, great piece! You've got a new follower :)