The nonpermanent appearance of happiness and distress, and their disappearance in due course, are like the appearance and disappearance of summer and winter seasons.
—The Bhagavad Gita Hindu Scripture
The world more often rewards the appearance of merit than merit itself.
—Francois de La Rochefoucauld (1613–80) French Writer
Looking the part helps get the chance to fill it. But if you fill the part, it matters not if you look it.
—Malcolm S. Forbes (1919–1990) American Publisher, Businessperson
A narcissist is someone better looking than you are.
—Gore Vidal (1925–48) American Novelist, Essayist, Journalist, Playwright
Beware, so long as you live, of judging men by their outward appearance.
—Jean de La Fontaine (1621–95) French Poet, Short Story Writer
We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful about what we pretend to be.
—Kurt Vonnegut (1922–2007) American Novelist, Short Story Writer
Never frown because you never know who might be falling in love with your smile.
—Unknown
Let us be grateful to the mirror for revealing to us our appearance only.
—Samuel Butler
With nice appearance people want to be deceived.
—German Proverb
Be not deceived with the first appearance of things, for show is not substance.
—English Proverb
More often than not, things and people are as they appear.
—Malcolm S. Forbes (1919–1990) American Publisher, Businessperson
I have told you of the Spaniard who always put on his spectacles when about to eat cherries, that they might look bigger and more tempting. In like manner I make the most of my enjoyments; and though I do not cast my cares away, I pack them in as little compass as I can, and carry them as conveniently as I can for myself, and never let them annoy others.
—Robert South (1634–1716) English Theologian, Preacher
It is not once nor twice but times without number that the same ideas make their appearance in the world.
—Aristotle (384BCE–322BCE) Ancient Greek Philosopher, Scholar
The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance.
—Aristotle (384BCE–322BCE) Ancient Greek Philosopher, Scholar
Against the beautiful and the clever and the successful, one can wage a pitiless war, but not against the unattractive: then the millstone weighs on the breast.
—Graham Greene (1904–91) British Novelist, Playwright, Short Story Writer
We see things as we are, not as they are.
—Leo Rosten (1908–97) Polish-born American Humorist, Screenwriter, Writer
My breasts are beautiful, and I gotta tell you, they’ve gotten a lot of attention for what is relatively short screen time.
—Jamie Lee Curtis (b.1958) American Film Actress, Children’s Books Writer
Don’t judge men’s wealth or godliness by their Sunday appearance.
—Benjamin Franklin (1706–90) American Political Leader, Inventor, Diplomat
People do not wish to appear foolish; to avoid the appearance of foolishness, they are willing to remain actually fools.
—Alice Walker (b.1944) American Novelist, Activist
Regardless of weather, the moon shines the same; it is the drifting clouds that make it seem different on different nights.
—Unknown
There are no greater wretches in the world than many of those whom people in general take to be happy.
—Seneca the Younger (Lucius Annaeus Seneca) (c.4 BCE–65 CE) Roman Stoic Philosopher, Statesman, Tragedian
No person who is well bred, kind and modest is ever offensively plain; all real deformity means want for manners or of heart.
—John Ruskin (1819–1900) English Writer, Art Critic
Appearances are not held to be a clue to the truth. But we seem to have no other.
—Ivy Compton-Burnett (1884–1969) English Novelist
If one wishes to become rich they must appear rich.
—Oliver Goldsmith (1730–74) Irish Novelist, Playwright, Poet
Think not I am what I appear.
—Lord Byron (George Gordon Byron) (1788–1824) English Romantic Poet
People that seem so glorious are all show; underneath they are like everyone else.
—Euripides (480–406 BCE) Ancient Greek Dramatist
I have been very happy, very rich, very beautiful, much adulated, very famous, and very unhappy.
—Brigitte Bardot (b.1934) French Film Star
The time will come when it will disgust you to look in the mirror.
—Ovid (Publius Ovidius Naso) (c.43 BCE–c.18 CE) Roman Poet
God loveth the clean.
—The Holy Quran Sacred Scripture of Islam
Nowadays those are rewarded who make right appear wrong.
—Terence (c.195–159 BCE) Roman Comic Dramatist