All that glitters is not gold / A book cannot be judged by its cover

Everything is life that appears to be attractive does not necessarily have a great value. This same fact can be said in another way : A book cannot be judged by its cover. A book with a very attractive cover may not have readable material inside. On the other hand, a book with a very dull cover may be very interesting. This is true of everything in life. A show that is well advertised may be dull and boring. And a movie that has received very little publicity may be quite entertaining.

So we must not jump to conclusions about the merits or demerits of anything purely on the basis of the way it is packaged. This is the age of advertisement. Makers of products try to show their product is the best light so that people will buy them. But this does not necessarily mean that the product is well worth the money. Even when we judge people we should not do so by their looks. Gandhiji wore just a dhoti, but he is still held in great reverence throughout the world. Abraham Lincoln was not endowed with good looks. But he is considered by far the greatest American President. Mother Teresa had a very simple appearance. But people all over the world remember and revere her. So it is only fair to say that all that glitters is not gold.