A little man often casts a long shadow.
—Italian Proverb
Nothing succeeds like the appearance of success.
—Christopher Lasch (1932–94) American Historian, Moralist, Social Critic
The secret of ugliness consists not in irregularity, but in being uninteresting.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) American Philosopher
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
Trust not too much to appearances.
—Virgil (70–19 BCE) Roman Poet
Think not I am what I appear.
—Lord Byron (George Gordon Byron) (1788–1824) English Romantic Poet
Appearances are deceptive.
—Aesop (620–564 BCE) Greek Fabulist
Trust not to much to appearances.
—Virgil (70–19 BCE) Roman Poet
How little do they see what really is, who frame their hasty judgment upon that which seems.
—Robert South (1634–1716) English Theologian, Preacher
Neglect of appearance becomes men.
—Ovid (Publius Ovidius Naso) (c.43 BCE–c.18 CE) Roman Poet
One man is more concerned with the impression he makes on the rest of mankind, another with the impression the rest of mankind makes on him.
—Arthur Schopenhauer (1788–1860) German Philosopher
The world more often rewards the appearance of merit than merit itself.
—Francois de La Rochefoucauld (1613–80) French Writer
Never judge from appearances.
—Common Proverb
Regardless of weather, the moon shines the same; it is the drifting clouds that make it seem different on different nights.
—Unknown
Every person is responsible for his own looks after 40.
—Abraham Lincoln (1809–65) American Head of State
Men in general judge more from appearances than from reality. All men have eyes, but few have the gift of penetration.
—Niccolo Machiavelli (1469–1527) Florentine Political Philosopher
Do not judge from mere appearances; for the light laughter that bubbles on the lip often mantles over the depths of sadness, and the serious look may be the sober veil that covers a divine peace and joy.—The bosom can ache beneath diamond brooches; and many a blithe heart dances under coarse wool.
—Edwin Hubbell Chapin (1814–80) American Preacher, Poet
Nothing so much prevents our being natural as the desire of appearing so.
—Francois de La Rochefoucauld (1613–80) French Writer
If one wishes to become rich they must appear rich.
—Oliver Goldsmith (1730–74) Irish Novelist, Playwright, Poet
Beware, so long as you live, of judging men by their outward appearance.
—Jean de La Fontaine (1621–95) French Poet, Short Story Writer
A good man often appears gauche simply because he does not take advantage of the myriad mean little chances of making himself look stylish. Preferring truth to form, he is not constantly at work upon the facade of his appearance.
—Iris Murdoch (1919–99) British Novelist, Playwright, Philosopher
There’s one thing about baldness, it’s neat.
—Don Herold (1889–1966) American Humorist, Writer, Illustrator, Cartoonist
I have been very happy, very rich, very beautiful, much adulated, very famous, and very unhappy.
—Brigitte Bardot (b.1934) French Film Star
How things look on the outside of us depends on how things are on the inside of us. Stay close to the heart of nature and forget this troubled world. Remember, there is nothing wrong with nature; the trouble is in ourselves.
—Parks Cousins
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
The world is governed more by appearances than by realities, so that it is fully as necessary to seem to know something as to know it.
—Daniel Webster (1782–1852) American Statesman, Lawyer
I have yet to meet a man as fond of high moral conduct as he is of outward appearances.
—Confucius (551–479 BCE) Chinese Philosopher
Reckoned physiologically, everything ugly weakens and afflicts man. It recalls decay, danger, impotence; he actually suffers a loss of energy in its presence. The effect of the ugly can be measured with a dynamometer. Whenever man feels in any way depressed, he senses the proximity of something “ugly.” His feeling of power, his will to power, his courage, his pride—they decline with the ugly, they increase with the beautiful.
—Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900) German Philosopher, Scholar, Writer
Woman cannot be content with health and agility: she must make exorbitant efforts to appear something that never could exist without a diligent perversion of nature. Is it too much to ask that women be spared the daily struggle for superhuman beauty in order to offer it to the caresses of a subhumanly ugly mate?
—Germaine Greer (b.1939) Australia Academic, Journalist, Scholar, Writer
Nowadays those are rewarded who make right appear wrong.
—Terence (c.195–159 BCE) Roman Comic Dramatist
Appearances are often deceiving.
—Aesop (620–564 BCE) Greek Fabulist
When an opera star sings her head off, she usually improves her appearance.
—Victor Borge (1909–2000) Danish-American Comedian, Musician
The most winning woman I ever knew was hanged for poisoning three little children for their insurance-money, and the most repellent man of my acquaintance is a philanthropist who has spent nearly a quarter of a million upon the London poor.
—Arthur Conan Doyle (1859–1930) Scottish Writer
I seated ugliness on my knee, and almost immediately grew tired of it.
—Salvador Dali (1904–89) Spanish Painter
He looked about as inconspicuous as a tarantula on a slice of angel food.
—Raymond Chandler (1888–1959) American Novelist
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
Be not deceived with the first appearance of things, for show is not substance.
—English Proverb
Cleanliness is indeed next to godliness.
—John Wesley (1703–91) British Methodist Religious Leader, Preacher, Theologian
‘Tis very certain that each man carries in his eye the exact indication of his rank in the immense scale of men, and we are always learning to read it. A complete man should need no auxiliaries to his personal presence.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) American Philosopher
We do not see things as they are. We see things as we are.
—The Talmud Sacred Text of the Jewish Faith
I do not think I had ever seen a nastier-looking man. Under the black hat, when I had first seen them, the eyes had been those of an unsuccessful rapist.
—Ernest Hemingway (1899–1961) American Author, Journalist, Short Story Writer
The beggar is the only person in the universe not obliged to study appearance.
—Charles Lamb (1775–1834) British Essayist, Poet
It’s nothing to be born ugly. Sensibly, the ugly woman comes to terms with her ugliness and exploits it as a grace of nature. To become ugly means the beginning of a calamity, self-willed most of the time.
—Colette (1873–1954) French Novelist, Performer
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
With nice appearance people want to be deceived.
—German Proverb
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
A hair in the head is worth two in the brush.
—Oliver Herford (1863–1935) American Writer, Artist, Illustrator
All things are becoming to good people.
—Common Proverb
The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance.
—Aristotle (384BCE–322BCE) Ancient Greek Philosopher, Scholar
He that has a great nose, thinks everybody is speaking of it.
—Thomas Fuller (1608–61) English Cleric, Historian