BoJack Horseman: Diane’s 10 Most Inspirational Quotes

Diane Nguyen is an extremely significant character on BoJack Horseman. She provides representation for Vietnamese-Americans, aspiring writers, feminists, and people who struggle with depression and anxiety.

RELATED: Bojack Horseman: 10 Real-Life Issues The Show Deals With And How It Addresses Them

For these reasons and more, a lot of what Diane says can be inspiring, even if it’s in a disconsolate situation. While many of the situations in BoJack Horseman deal with heavy themes, there are still a lot of moments of clarity, inspirations, and good messages to take away from it.

10 “Either You Know What You Want And Then You Don’t Get What You Want, Or You Get What You Want And Then You Don’t Know What You Want”

This quote about life comes from one of many rooftop discussions Diane and BoJack share. Finding happiness in this world can be difficult and some don’t realize that even successful people struggle with it.

BoJack is a character that provides a lot of insight into this problem: he is a wealthy actor who has experienced enormous success and fame, yet his demons drag him down and he can’t seem to appreciate his position or find happiness in much of anything. Diane struggles with finding happiness but for different reasons, but she always tries to help BoJack feel better about himself.

9 “Most People Don’t Even Get To Do The Brady Bunch Version Of The Thing They Want To Do With Their Lives”

This is another example of Diane’s reasoning with BoJack on the opportunities and fortune he has as a successful actor. It offers him a change in perspective; that while his problems are valid, the fact that he has achieved much of his goals early on in his life gives him a lot of freedom and opportunity to do even more.

As BoJack’s ghostwriter, Diane quickly learns a lot about BoJack’s troubled past, and the unhealthy relationships he has and currently has with others. Being a good friend, she takes it in stride and tries to help him as best as she can, giving him the advice he needs to hear rather than just saying what he wants to hear.

8 “You’re Responsible For Your Own Happiness, You Know?”

An incredibly important piece of advice to which BoJack replies, “I can’t even be responsible for my own breakfast!” Many characters besides just BoJack try to find fulfillment and happiness via their relationship with others, oftentimes with heartbreaking results at the end of the episode or season. Diane’s knowledge that she alone is responsible for her own happiness, not others around her, is one of the things that ultimately give her a relationship with Guy that has such a strong foundation.

Initially, she decides to end the relationship, telling him it’s too much unfair pressure on him to be the only thing that makes her happy. However, she gives it another try and can deal with her issues head-on, with Guy by her side supporting her. They work through their problems maturely and healthily and eventually get engaged.

7 “All Those Perky, Well-Adjusted People You See In Movies And TV Shows? I Don’t Think They Exist”

Another big theme in BoJack Horseman is the sometimes problematic nature of media and Hollywood (or in this universe Hollywoo) culture. For example, BoJack’s life on Horsin’ Around is always perfect. Whatever mundane sitcom conflicts that arise are resolved by the end of each episode, with a clean slate with the start of the next episode.

Real-life is not that simple and often comes with complicated problems. What BoJack and others see from his life on Horsin’ Around isn’t reality and not something he should measure up or compare to.

6 “You Learn That You Can Survive Being Alone”

Like many of the characters on the show, Diane has had her fair share of hardships and heartache. She goes through a brutal divorce with Mr. Peanutbutter, a loving relationship the audience has to watch slowly unravel from season 1 to season 5.

After her divorce, Diane tries to reconnect with her Vietnamese heritage by taking a trip to Vietnam. While the trip doesn’t do for her what she hoped for, she does learn something of value: to relearn how to live outside of a relationship and realizing the value of being alone.

5 “Sometimes Life’s A B***h And You Keep Living”

This is one of the last lines of dialogue in the series, following BoJack’s line, “life’s a b***h and then you die”. At this point, Diane has transformed so much from the person she used to be in season 1.

She’s been through hell and back, learned to be on her own, learned how to better manage her depression, and found love again. One thing that hasn’t changed is the strength of her perception. This reply to BoJack is Diane recognizing how far she’s come and how much strength it took to persevere.

4 “Even If No One Appreciates You, It’s Important That You Don’t Stop Being Good”

Authenticity and character are things that Diane values. This is especially evident when problems arise with Hank Hippopopalous, who was a producer for the game show that Mr. Peanutbutter hosted. Diane pointed out some long-standing allegations of abuse and misconduct from women who had worked for Hippopopalous, and for that, she received lots of backlash.

Diane pressed on even hen Mr. Peanutbutter told her that she was causing problems for him. She always fights for what she believes is right, even when everyone is against her and no one is in her corner.

3 “There Are People In Your Life That Help You Become The Person You End Up Being, And You Can Be Grateful For Them, Even If They Were Never Meant To Be In Your Life Forever”

What makes Diane and Mr. Peanutbutter’s divorce so heartbreaking is that they never really stopped loving each other. Together they experienced a rollercoaster of emotion, they hurt each other and fought hard for each other but in the end, they just weren’t meant to be. While the loss of their relationship was painful, both of them left the relationship changed for the better, and with a more well-rounded understanding of themselves, their issues, and their needs.

Diane and Mr. Peanutbutter were unlucky in love, but they remained on good terms and continued to support each other through the conclusion of the series.

2 “Every Happy Ending Has The Day After The Happy Ending”

One thing that is very apparent throughout BoJack Horseman is that Diane knows how to keep it real. While some characters like Sarah Lynn call her an ‘Asian Daria’, unlike the sardonic 90s cartoon teen, she’s level-headed, kind, and realistic – without being overly pessimistic.

Despite her personal problems and the difficult things, she goes through, her desire to help others and make a difference in the world. She’s honest and not afraid to tell her friends with inflated egos to keep their heads out of the clouds.

1 “There’s No Deep Down, I Believe That All We Are Is What We Do”

Diane says this line as she apologizes to BoJack for not responding to him when he asks if she thinks he’s a good person. She has a long conversation with him about her being caught off guard by the question and gives him a long and thoughtful response to her beliefs about humanity.

One thing to take away from this quote is that just as life isn’t black and white, people are complicated and can be both good and bad. Understanding that a person’s character is defined by what they do is a valuable philosophy for anyone.

About The Author