Lies written in ink cannot disguise facts written in blood.
Lu XunRead
I felt that if a man's proposals met with approval, it should encourage him; if they met with opposition, it should make him fight back; but the real tragedy for him was to lift up his voice among the living and meet with no response neither approval nor opposition just as if he were left helpless in a boundless desert.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote highlights the importance of engagement and response in life, suggesting that indifference is more tragic than conflict.
In this quote, Lu Xun emphasizes the significance of human connection and the need for validation. He argues that a person's proposals should evoke reactions—whether approval or opposition—because being acknowledged is essential for growth and motivation. The most profound tragedy lies in being ignored completely, as if one’s thoughts and existence are futile, akin to being deserted in a vast, empty space. This suggests that even negative responses are preferable to silence, which can be detrimental to one's spirit.
Themes
EngagementIndifferenceApprovalOppositionReactions
In practice
Example use cases
In a motivational speech about taking risks in life, one could use this quote to emphasize the importance of being heard.
More from Lu Xun
All quotes →To be suspicious is not a fault. To be suspicious all the time without coming to a conclusion is the defect.
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I thought: 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 XunRead
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