---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Don't judge a man's conscience by looking…"
description: "\"Don't judge a man's conscience by looking at his face cause he may have a bad heart.\" — William Shakespeare"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/920/william-shakespeare-4_bad-heart_don-t-judge-a-man-s-conscience-by-lookin_1262899.jpg"
---

#  Don't judge a man's conscience by looking at his face…

![“Don't judge a man's conscience by looking at his face cause he may have a bad heart.” quote by William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/920/william-shakespeare-4_bad-heart_don-t-judge-a-man-s-conscience-by-lookin_1262899.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/920/william-shakespeare-4_bad-heart_don-t-judge-a-man-s-conscience-by-lookin_1262899.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/920/william-shakespeare-4_bad-heart_don-t-judge-a-man-s-conscience-by-lookin_1262899.jpg)

> “Don't judge a man's conscience by looking at his face cause he may have a bad heart.”

[William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

One cannot judge a person's moral worth by appearance alone; inner character may be hidden

**In simple terms:** Looks can be deceiving; judge by deeds not face

Key Takeaway

Seek deeper understanding before forming opinions

Themes

judgment appearance vs. reality morality

Mood

thoughtful cautious

Type

philosophical advisory

When to use this quote

- relationships
- leadership
- conflict resolution

Key Concepts

ethics human nature

Questions to Reflect On

- What hidden qualities might you overlook?
- How can you look beyond surface impressions?

A Different Perspective

People can mask true intentions, making judgments risky

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Bad heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-heart/) [Causes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/causes/) [Conscience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conscience/) [Conscience Looking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conscience-looking-4020967/) [Faces](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faces/) [Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart/) [Judging](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/judging/) [Looking Face](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/looking-face-481583/) [Man Conscience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man-conscience/) [May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/may/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/)

## Related quotes

> [There is no dharma greater than a word uttered by a man of conscience; there is no karma greater than a man listening to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thiruman-archunan/there-is-no-dharma-greater-than-a-word-uttered-by-a-man-of-conscience/)

[Thiruman Archunan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thiruman-archunan/)

> [Must the citizen ever for a moment, or in the least degree, resigns his conscience to the legislator? Why has every man a conscience…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/must-the-citizen-ever-for-a-moment-or-in-the-least-degree-resigns-his/)

[Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/)

> [Must the citizen ever for a moment, or in the least degree, resign his conscience to the legislator? Why has every man a conscience,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/must-the-citizen-ever-for-a-moment-or-in-the-least-degree-resign-his/)

[Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/)

> [Conscience is the most sacred of all property; other property depending in part on positive law, the exercise of that being a natural and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-madison/conscience-is-the-most-sacred-of-all-property-other-property/)

[James Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-madison/)

> [Yet still there whispers the small voice within, Heard through Gain's silence, and o'er Glory's din; Whatever creed be taught or land be trod,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-byron/yet-still-there-whispers-the-small-voice-within-heard-through-gain-s/)

[Lord Byron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-byron/)

> [A man's conscience and his judgment is the same thing; and as the judgment, so also the conscience, may be erroneous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hobbes/a-man-s-conscience-and-his-judgment-is-the-same-thing-and-as-the/)

[Thomas Hobbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hobbes/)

> [It gets bigger every time you go over. In China, there was Yao Ming stuff everywhere. I'm just fortunate to have a good-looking face…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaquille-o-neal/it-gets-bigger-every-time-you-go-over-in-china-there-was-yao-ming/)

[Shaquille O'Neal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaquille-o-neal/)

> [You don't have to be afraid of looking into my face. We've done nothing to each other that time will not erase.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-dylan/you-don-t-have-to-be-afraid-of-looking-into-my-face-we-ve-done/)

[Bob Dylan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-dylan/)

> [I enjoy looking at your face... Whenever I look at your face, a question always comes to my mind... Will man ever succeed in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-m-schulz/i-enjoy-looking-at-your-face-whenever-i-look-at-your-face-a-question/)

[Charles M. Schulz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-m-schulz/)

> [I had a face-lift, and I would have another if I needed one. It definitely changed my life. I'm not vain. In fact I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-haslam/i-had-a-face-lift-and-i-would-have-another-if-i-needed-one-it/)

[Nicholas Haslam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-haslam/)

> [The iPhone will maybe become more of a video-conferencing experience - you pick up your phone, you answer it, you'll be talking to someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chad-hurley/the-iphone-will-maybe-become-more-of-a-video-conferencing-experience/)

[Chad Hurley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chad-hurley/)

> [“There are people who feel they should be with you, but something is preventing them from coming close. Please can you just lower the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bassey-johnson/there-are-people-who-feel-they-should-be-with-you-but-something-is/)

[Michael Bassey Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bassey-johnson/)

> [“Gadzooks! What a big chunk of God is to be found by looking into the face of someone you love!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/landvik-lorna/gadzooks-what-a-big-chunk-of-god-is-to-be-found-by-looking-into-the/)

[Landvik Lorna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/landvik-lorna/)

> [I guess I've always had a similar-looking face.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-billingsley/i-guess-i-ve-always-had-a-similar-looking-face/)

[Peter Billingsley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-billingsley/)

> [“I resigned myself to looking for that face that I clearly recalled—until the day when I couldn’t. It happened so suddenly.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melanie-benjamin/i-resigned-myself-to-looking-for-that-face-that-i-clearly-recalled/)

[Melanie Benjamin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melanie-benjamin/)

## More by William Shakespeare

> [Let us kill all lawyers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/let-us-kill-all-lawyers/)

[William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/)

> [A horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/a-horse-a-horse-my-kingdom-for-a-horse/)

[William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/)

> [O tiger's heart wrapped in a woman's hide!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/o-tiger-s-heart-wrapped-in-a-woman-s-hide/)

[William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/)

> [Time hath not yet so dried this blood of mine, Nor age so eat up my invention, Nor fortune made such havoc of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/time-hath-not-yet-so-dried-this-blood-of-mine-nor-age-so-eat-up-my/)

[William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/)

> [Divers philosophers hold that the lips is parcel of the mouth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/divers-philosophers-hold-that-the-lips-is-parcel-of-the-mouth/)

[William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/)

> [Short time seems long in sorrow's sharp sustaining.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/short-time-seems-long-in-sorrow-s-sharp-sustaining/)

[William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/)

> [“Love is a smoke made with the fume of sighs; Being purg'd, a fire sparkling in lovers' eyes; Being vex'd, a sea nourish'd with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/love-is-a-smoke-made-with-the-fume-of-sighs-being-purg-d-a-fire/)

[William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/)

> [I, measuring his affections by my own, Which then most sought where most might not be found, Being one too many by my weary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/i-measuring-his-affections-by-my-own-which-then-most-sought-where/)

[William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/)

> [Ask God for temp'rance. That's th' appliance only Which your disease requires.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/ask-god-for-temp-rance-that-s-th-appliance-only-which-your-disease/)

[William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/)

> [“Thou hast no figures nor no fantasies Which busy care draws in the brains of men; Therefore thou sleep’st so sound. Julius Caesar (2.1.248-251)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/thou-hast-no-figures-nor-no-fantasies-which-busy-care-draws-in-the/)

[William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/)

> [Truth needs no color; beauty, no pencil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/truth-needs-no-color-beauty-no-pencil/)

[William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/)

> [Have you not heard it said full oft, A woman's nay doth stand for naught?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/have-you-not-heard-it-said-full-oft-a-woman-s-nay-doth-stand-for/)

[William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/)

> [Omittance is no quittance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/omittance-is-no-quittance/)

[William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/)

> [“Yes, madam: yet I cannot choose but laugh, To think it should leave crying and say 'Ay.' And yet, I warrant, it had upon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/yes-madam-yet-i-cannot-choose-but-laugh-to-think-it-should-leave/)

[William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/)

> [I take thee at thy word: Call me but love, and I'll be new baptized; Henceforth I never will be Romeo.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/i-take-thee-at-thy-word-call-me-but-love-and-i-ll-be-new-baptized/)

[William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/)

[Explore all 5,604 William Shakespeare quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/)

## More Bad heart quotes

> [The craftiest trickery are too short and ragged a cloak to cover a bad heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-kaspar-lavater/the-craftiest-trickery-are-too-short-and-ragged-a-cloak-to-cover-a/)

[Johann Kaspar Lavater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-kaspar-lavater/)

> [Perpetual anticipation is good for the soul but it's bad for the heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-sondheim/perpetual-anticipation-is-good-for-the-soul-but-it-s-bad-for-the-heart/)

[Stephen Sondheim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-sondheim/)

> [Sinful gossip is bearing bad news behind someones back out of a bad heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/sinful-gossip-is-bearing-bad-news-behind-someones-back-out-of-a-bad/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“My head is bad, but my heart — my heart is good”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/changdictator/my-head-is-bad-but-my-heart-my-heart-is-good/)

[Changdictator](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/changdictator/)

> [“Maybe I'm not so good as I seem to you. I've a bad heart; I will have my own way.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/maybe-i-m-not-so-good-as-i-seem-to-you-i-ve-a-bad-heart-i-will-have/)

[Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/)

> [If somebody has a bad heart, they can plug this jack in at night as they go to bed and it will monitor their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-s-fowler/if-somebody-has-a-bad-heart-they-can-plug-this-jack-in-at-night-as/)

[Mark S. Fowler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-s-fowler/)

> [“Won’t we be quite the pair?—you with your bad heart, me with my bad head. Together, though, we might have something worthwhile.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/therese-anne-fowler/won-t-we-be-quite-the-pair-you-with-your-bad-heart-me-with-my-bad/)

[Therese Anne Fowler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/therese-anne-fowler/)

> [Two things are bad for the heart - running up stairs and running down people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/two-things-are-bad-for-the-heart-running-up-stairs-and-running-down/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [If you think about determination, if people have a heart and are determined, they can get to that place. But there are a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-izzard/if-you-think-about-determination-if-people-have-a-heart-and-are/)

[Eddie Izzard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-izzard/)

> [One of the things I like to do is people's hearts are on their sleeve, whether it's a good or a bad heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-michael-bendis/one-of-the-things-i-like-to-do-is-people-s-hearts-are-on-their-sleeve/)

[Brian Michael Bendis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-michael-bendis/)

> [I've been treated with the utmost respect by the whitest of white guys, and I've been treated bad by the whitest of white persons.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-reed/i-ve-been-treated-with-the-utmost-respect-by-the-whitest-of-white/)

[Ed Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-reed/)

> [Bad mind, bad heart. (Mals Mens, Malus Animus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anacharsis-cloots/bad-mind-bad-heart-mals-mens-malus-animus/)

[Anacharsis Cloots](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anacharsis-cloots/)

> [Doubtless criticism was originally benignant, pointing out the beauties of a work rather that its defects. The passions of men have made it malignant,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-wadsworth-longfellow/doubtless-criticism-was-originally-benignant-pointing-out-the/)

[Henry Wadsworth Longfellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-wadsworth-longfellow/)

> [To be happy, one must have a good stomach and a bad heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-le-bovier-de-fontenelle/to-be-happy-one-must-have-a-good-stomach-and-a-bad-heart/)

[Bernard le Bovier de Fontenelle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-le-bovier-de-fontenelle/)

> [“The person with a good heart and leading a virtuous life will envelop himself in a flourished countenance, creating a favorable condition for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quyen-quang-tran/the-person-with-a-good-heart-and-leading-a-virtuous-life-will-envelop/)

[Quyen Quang Tran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quyen-quang-tran/)

[Browse all 43 Bad heart quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-heart/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Don't judge a man's conscience by looking at his face cause he may have a bad heart.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "William Shakespeare"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/don-t-judge-a-man-s-conscience-by-looking-at-his-face-cause-he-may/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Bad heart"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/don-t-judge-a-man-s-conscience-by-looking-at-his-face-cause-he-may/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/920/william-shakespeare-4_bad-heart_don-t-judge-a-man-s-conscience-by-lookin_1262899.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/920/william-shakespeare-4_bad-heart_don-t-judge-a-man-s-conscience-by-lookin_1262899.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/920/william-shakespeare-4_bad-heart_don-t-judge-a-man-s-conscience-by-lookin_1262899.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Don't judge a man's conscience by looking at his face cause he may have a bad heart.” — William Shakespeare",
                "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": "William Shakespeare",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Don't judge a man's conscience by...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/don-t-judge-a-man-s-conscience-by-looking-at-his-face-cause-he-may/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/don-t-judge-a-man-s-conscience-by-looking-at-his-face-cause-he-may/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
