--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We should look to the mind, and not to…" description: "\"We should look to the mind, and not to the outward appearance.\" — Aesop" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ddc/aesop-1073_appearance_we-should-look-to-the-mind-and-not-to-th_3072146.jpg" --- # We should look to the mind, and not to the outward… ![“We should look to the mind, and not to the outward appearance.” quote by Aesop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ddc/aesop-1073_appearance_we-should-look-to-the-mind-and-not-to-th_3072146.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ddc/aesop-1073_appearance_we-should-look-to-the-mind-and-not-to-th_3072146.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ddc/aesop-1073_appearance_we-should-look-to-the-mind-and-not-to-th_3072146.jpg) > “We should look to the mind, and not to the outward appearance.” [Aesop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. True worth lies in character, not appearance; judge by inner qualities. **In simple terms:** Judge by character, not looks. Key Takeaway Value inner virtues over outward looks. Themes character appearance judgment Mood reflective instructive Type moral philosophical When to use this quote - personal relationships - leadership selection - team building - social media interaction Key Concepts virtue ethics perception bias Questions to Reflect On - How can we train ourselves to see beyond looks? - What practices reveal true character? A Different Perspective Appearances can influence first impressions despite advice. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Appearance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/appearance/) [Look](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/look/) [Look Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/look-mind-1088678/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Mind Outward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind-outward-711406/) [Outward appearance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/outward-appearance/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [Should](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/should/) ## Related quotes > [Happiness depends more on the inward disposition of mind than on outward circumstances.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/happiness-depends-more-on-the-inward-disposition-of-mind-than-on/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [That fine part of our construction, the eye, seems as much the receptacle and seat of our passions as the mind itself; and at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-addison/that-fine-part-of-our-construction-the-eye-seems-as-much-the/) [Joseph Addison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-addison/) > [To call him a dog hardly seems to do him justice, though inasmuch as he had four legs, a tail, and barked, I admit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermione-gingold/to-call-him-a-dog-hardly-seems-to-do-him-justice-though-inasmuch-as/) [Hermione Gingold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermione-gingold/) > [When you wear a mask, it changes your outward appearance, but also has an influence on you, inside.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yusuke-kishi/when-you-wear-a-mask-it-changes-your-outward-appearance-but-also-has/) [Yusuke Kishi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yusuke-kishi/) > [“The way you dress is how you greet the sun and other stars.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamand-kojouri/the-way-you-dress-is-how-you-greet-the-sun-and-other-stars/) [Kamand Kojouri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamand-kojouri/) > [You can recognize women who are grateful to be a daughter of God by their outward appearance. These women understand their stewardship over their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-d-nadauld/you-can-recognize-women-who-are-grateful-to-be-a-daughter-of-god-by/) [Margaret D. Nadauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-d-nadauld/) > [The cross is like a walnut whose outer rind is bitter, but the inner kernel is pleasant and invigorating. So the cross does not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sadhu-sundar-singh/the-cross-is-like-a-walnut-whose-outer-rind-is-bitter-but-the-inner/) [Sadhu Sundar Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sadhu-sundar-singh/) > [Outward appearances mean everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-elkeles/outward-appearances-mean-everything/) [Simone Elkeles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-elkeles/) > [In every walk of life each man puts on a personality and outward appearance so as to look what he wants to be thought;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/in-every-walk-of-life-each-man-puts-on-a-personality-and-outward/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [A sure way of retaining the grace of heaven is to disregard outward appearances, and diligently to cultivate such things as foster amendment of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-a-kempis/a-sure-way-of-retaining-the-grace-of-heaven-is-to-disregard-outward/) [Thomas a Kempis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-kempis/) > [“When you meet someone, remember their outward appearance can be completely different from their insides. Be gentle.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-bardsley/when-you-meet-someone-remember-their-outward-appearance-can-be/) [Anne Bardsley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-bardsley/) > [It is not your outward appearance that you should beautify, but your soul, adorning it with good works.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clement-of-alexandria/it-is-not-your-outward-appearance-that-you-should-beautify-but-your/) [Clement of Alexandria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clement-of-alexandria/) > [What matters is not your outward appearance. . . but your inner disposition. Cultivate inner beauty, the gentle gracious kind that God delights in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saint-peter/what-matters-is-not-your-outward-appearance-but-your-inner/) [Saint Peter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saint-peter/) > [We too, through lack of knowledge and of sufficiently mature reflection, mistook the visible outward appearance of the phenomenon for the phenomenon itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leon-jouhaux/we-too-through-lack-of-knowledge-and-of-sufficiently-mature/) [Leon Jouhaux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leon-jouhaux/) > [If you want to know where your heart and look at where your mind goes when it wanders. Because who's in your mind is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mayte/if-you-want-to-know-where-your-heart-and-look-at-where-your-mind-goes/) [Mayte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mayte/) ## More by Aesop > [“Lay not the blame on me, O sailor, but on the winds. By nature I am as calm and safe as the land itself,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop/lay-not-the-blame-on-me-o-sailor-but-on-the-winds-by-nature-i-am-as/) [Aesop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop/) > [It is in vain to expect our prayers to be heard, if we do not strive as well as pray.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop/it-is-in-vain-to-expect-our-prayers-to-be-heard-if-we-do-not-strive/) [Aesop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop/) > [Beware of a wolf in sheep's clothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop/beware-of-a-wolf-in-sheep-s-clothing/) [Aesop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop/) > [Better a long life of toil than a short one of ease.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop/better-a-long-life-of-toil-than-a-short-one-of-ease/) [Aesop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop/) > [Don't let your special character and values, the secret that you know and no one else does, the truth - don't let that get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop/don-t-let-your-special-character-and-values-the-secret-that-you-know/) [Aesop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop/) > [Every man carries two bags about him, one in front and one behind, and both are full of faults. The bag in front contains…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop/every-man-carries-two-bags-about-him-one-in-front-and-one-behind-and/) [Aesop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop/) > [It pays to be content with your lot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop/it-pays-to-be-content-with-your-lot/) [Aesop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop/) > [Be content with your lot; one cannot be first in everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop/be-content-with-your-lot-one-cannot-be-first-in-everything/) [Aesop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop/) > [Equals make the best friends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop/equals-make-the-best-friends/) [Aesop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop/) > [once upon a time all the rivers combined to protest against the action of the sea in making their waters salt. "When we come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop/once-upon-a-time-all-the-rivers-combined-to-protest-against-the/) [Aesop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop/) > [In union there is strength.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop/in-union-there-is-strength/) [Aesop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop/) > [“Be content with your lot; once cannot be first in everything.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop/be-content-with-your-lot-once-cannot-be-first-in-everything/) [Aesop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop/) > [False friends leave you in times of trouble.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop/false-friends-leave-you-in-times-of-trouble/) [Aesop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop/) > [Better beans and bacon in peace than cakes and ale in fear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop/better-beans-and-bacon-in-peace-than-cakes-and-ale-in-fear/) [Aesop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop/) > [“The Sun is bad enough even while he is single, drying up our marshes with his heat as he does. But what will become…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop/the-sun-is-bad-enough-even-while-he-is-single-drying-up-our-marshes/) [Aesop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop/) [Explore all 297 Aesop quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop/) ## More Appearance quotes > [Your looks don't make you pretty, it's the person inside who makes you pretty!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-chan/your-looks-don-t-make-you-pretty-it-s-the-person-inside-who-makes-you/) [Aaron Chan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-chan/) > [I just worried about my weight. Worried about my appearance and thought I wan't pretty enough to be a pop star. It was very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-durham/i-just-worried-about-my-weight-worried-about-my-appearance-and/) [Judith Durham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-durham/) > [The essence of worldliness is exclusion of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-jacobsen/the-essence-of-worldliness-is-exclusion-of-god/) [Henry Jacobsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-jacobsen/) > [We must, however, note that what are usually called the high religions made their appearance within about twenty-five hundred years - most of them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-scott-latourette/we-must-however-note-that-what-are-usually-called-the-high-religions/) [Kenneth Scott Latourette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-scott-latourette/) > [First impressions are often the truest, as we find (not infrequently) to our cost, when we have been wheedled out of them by plausible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/first-impressions-are-often-the-truest-as-we-find-not-infrequently-to/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) > [The turning points of lives are not the great moments. The real crises are often concealed in occurrences so trivial in appearance that they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/the-turning-points-of-lives-are-not-the-great-moments-the-real-crises/) [George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/) > [You can have a nice body, dress with the latest fashion. But if you don't have self-confidence sweetheart, forget about looking sexy, you can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glen-rambharack/you-can-have-a-nice-body-dress-with-the-latest-fashion-but-if-you-don/) [Glen Rambharack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glen-rambharack/) > [I cannot be convinced that great artists are moralists. Art is first appearances, then meaning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-paglia/i-cannot-be-convinced-that-great-artists-are-moralists-art-is-first/) [Camille Paglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-paglia/) > [So may the outward shows be least themselves; The world is still deceived with ornament.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/so-may-the-outward-shows-be-least-themselves-the-world-is-still/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [We are one of many appearances of the thing called Life; we are not its perfect image, for it has no perfect image except…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/loren-eiseley/we-are-one-of-many-appearances-of-the-thing-called-life-we-are-not/) [Loren Eiseley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/loren-eiseley/) > [I'm OK with my appearance. I have made my peace with it after a long and frankly exhausting battle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-perkins/i-m-ok-with-my-appearance-i-have-made-my-peace-with-it-after-a-long/) [Sue Perkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-perkins/) > [There is no society or conversation to be kept up in the world without good-nature, or something which must bear its appearance and supply…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-addison/there-is-no-society-or-conversation-to-be-kept-up-in-the-world/) [Joseph Addison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-addison/) > [Appearance records are pretty special. Mine means a lot to me, not only because I love stats, but because it shows that I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-james/appearance-records-are-pretty-special-mine-means-a-lot-to-me-not-only/) [David James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-james/) > [Every man would fall in love with their voice, their lovely appearance, but no man would ever get past that. They'd never really know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-hocking/every-man-would-fall-in-love-with-their-voice-their-lovely-appearance/) [Amanda Hocking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-hocking/) > [I already know what things look like - I don't want description. People believe in appearances, and I don't believe in appearances at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/duane-michals/i-already-know-what-things-look-like-i-don-t-want-description-people/) [Duane Michals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/duane-michals/) [Browse all 2,446 Appearance quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/appearance/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We should look to the mind, and not to the outward appearance.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Aesop" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop/we-should-look-to-the-mind-and-not-to-the-outward-appearance/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Appearance" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop/we-should-look-to-the-mind-and-not-to-the-outward-appearance/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ddc/aesop-1073_appearance_we-should-look-to-the-mind-and-not-to-th_3072146.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ddc/aesop-1073_appearance_we-should-look-to-the-mind-and-not-to-th_3072146.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ddc/aesop-1073_appearance_we-should-look-to-the-mind-and-not-to-th_3072146.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We should look to the mind, and not to the outward appearance.” — Aesop", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Aesop", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "We should look to the mind,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop/we-should-look-to-the-mind-and-not-to-the-outward-appearance/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop/we-should-look-to-the-mind-and-not-to-the-outward-appearance/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```