proverb · Words worth keeping
Appearances are deceptive.
Appearances are deceptive.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
The saying calls appearances deceptive. It warns that an impression can differ from what further evidence shows.
What the words are saying
The broad statement prompts caution about surface judgments. A useful interpretation checks relevant details without treating every appearance as a lie or assuming an unattractive presentation conceals something good. The issue is the sufficiency of evidence rather than a general instruction to distrust everyone.
Everyday example
Someone checks a proposal’s details instead of accepting or rejecting it from presentation alone.
When to use it
Use it to distinguish first impressions from supported conclusions.
What it does not mean
An appearance is not automatically false or deliberately misleading.
Agent-assisted editorial interpretation. This explains the words; it does not by itself verify their author or earliest origin.
Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- Traditional
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
- Not established
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin. - Historical period
- Historical period not yet established
No sufficiently supported historical placement has been established. Import and download dates are not treated as composition dates. - Recorded source
- Contributor-provided proverb reference
Supplied reference A; unit 457; PDF page 67
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.