Hope cannot be said to exist, nor can it be said not to exist. It

"Hope cannot be said to exist, nor can it be said not to exist. It is just like roads across the earth. For actually the earth had no roads to begin with, but when many men pass one way, a road is made." – Lu Xun

In these luminous words, Lu Xun, the father of modern Chinese literature, speaks of hope not as an abstract gift, nor as a permanent possession, but as something born of action — of persistence and shared effort. He likens hope to a road, a path that does not exist until it is traveled. This vision reminds us that hope is not simply a feeling to be held in the heart; it is a practice, a journey forged by the feet of those who dare to move forward. Like a road etched into the earth by countless steps, hope becomes real through the courage of those who act, even when the way is uncertain.

The origin of this metaphor lies in Lu Xun’s life and writings, steeped in the turbulence of early 20th-century China. Witnessing social decay, oppression, and stagnation, he saw a nation weighed down by fear and tradition. Yet he also saw the potential of ordinary people to create change. His works are filled with characters who, despite hardship, move forward — not because hope is given to them, but because they make it themselves through courage and persistence. Just as countless feet forge a path where none existed, people, through collective effort, bring hope into existence.

This metaphor resonates with the ancients’ understanding of human endeavor. The philosophers of Greece, from Heraclitus to Aristotle, taught that virtue and wisdom are forged in action, not in idle thought. Lu Xun extends this principle to the soul itself: hope is not found in idle wishing, but in the steady repetition of courageous acts. Each step upon the untraveled earth, each small act of courage, carves a road for those who follow. To wait for hope to appear is folly; it emerges only when the determined walk it into being.

Consider the story of Rosa Parks, whose refusal to yield her seat on a Montgomery bus may have seemed a singular act, yet it became the path that many followed. Her courage, repeated by countless others, created a road toward civil rights where none had existed. Like Lu Xun’s metaphor, hope was not present before her action; it was forged in the steps of those who marched, protested, and persisted. Each step made the road wider, safer, and more visible — turning individual defiance into a collective force.

The power of Lu Xun’s insight lies also in its humility. Hope does not reside in prophecy, in prayer, or in the promise of fortune. It resides in movement, in the willingness to persist despite uncertainty. The road does not exist until many take the first step, and yet each step matters. Every individual who dares to act is part of the creation of something larger than themselves — a road of hope for others to follow. In this, Lu Xun reminds us that hope is inseparable from action; it is not a passive comfort, but a living, shared enterprise.

This metaphor also teaches patience and the wisdom of incremental effort. A road is not forged in a single day, nor is hope established in a single act. It is built, step by step, over time, by those committed to walking together. The strength of hope is multiplied through collective endeavor, for one footfall alone is fragile, but many create a path strong enough to endure generations. History is shaped by those who keep walking, even when the destination remains unseen.

Lesson: My children, learn this: do not wait for hope to be given to you, and do not despair when the path seems absent. Begin walking, even in small ways, for each courageous act leaves an imprint on the earth of the world. Take your steps with care, with courage, and with persistence, knowing that the road you forge may carry countless souls after you. Hope exists because you make it exist — it is not found, it is created, and in the forging of this road lies the eternal power of human spirit.

In the end, Lu Xun’s wisdom calls us to both action and communion. We walk alone, yet together, forging the roads that others will travel. Hope, like the earth’s worn paths, is made real by the feet that dare to move forward, again and again, until the journey itself becomes the proof of its existence.