"All That Glitters Is Not Gold": Grandmother's Expression of the Day.
Do you know the expression "All that glitters is not gold"?
This grandmother proverb is a very old expression.
We meet it for the first time, in the 13th century, in a book entitled Parables, by the poet Alain de Lille.
It is then already translated from medieval Latin.
Originally, it already means: "Beware of flattering appearances."
But, today, what is its meaning and how is this expression used?
We analyze for you this expression of grandmother of the day. Look :
Originally
We find this expression in the pen of Diderot, in 1796, in Jacques the Fatalist.
During an exchange with Jacques le Fataliste, her hostess declares, speaking of her husband: "All that glitters is not gold."
Since very ancient times, gold has exerted its fascination on men! They are passionate about its strong symbolism.
For many cultures around the world, gold embodies rarity, perfection and excellence.
But beware ... because you should not always trust flattering appearances.
And just because something looks like gold doesn't mean it has the qualities.
Yes ... not everything that glitters is enviable. And we must beware of deceptive appearances.
And today, what is the meaning of this old expression?
Today
This old adage has not aged a bit!
Who has never been in a situation a priori perfect ? But as soon as we scratch the surface a little ... we unfortunately discover the sad reality, much less brilliant.
What seems ideal to us at first is not always so.
A situation that seemed enviable to us can turn out to be a source of misfortune and suffering, if we look at it a little more closely.
Gold being a precious metal, it is often imitated ... but never equaled.
Gold plated, for example, which is much cheaper, does not stand up to expert scrutiny. We must not be fooled!
The share of wisdom
But of course, this expression doesn't just apply to the precious metal. It concerns every person.
Like many proverbs, this expression is correct and wise. And it enlightens us on human nature.
We see it on a daily basis, appearances are sometimes deceptive.
This is why we should not be content to judge on superficial appearances, just as brilliant or flashy as they are!
To have a good opinion of a person, you must not be dazzled by appearances. We must seek to know its true deep nature.
There you go, now you know the meaning of this popular expression.
If like me you like grandmother's expressions, I recommend this book which includes the best sayings.
Your turn...
What do you think of this grandmother expression? Tell us in the comments if you use it often. We can't wait to hear from you!
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Also to discover:
30 Expressions From Another Time That Even Our Grandmothers No Longer Use.
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