All That Glitters Is Not Gold
Not everything that looks attractive is actually valuable — the medieval warning against shiny appearances.
Origin
The thought is ancient — Aesop, Chaucer, and medieval Latin all have versions. The modern English form passes through Shakespeare's *The Merchant of Venice* (1596), where the Prince of Morocco reads it on a scroll inside the gold casket: 'All that glisters is not gold.' Tolkien inverted it in *The Fellowship of the Ring* ('All that is gold does not glitter'), giving Strider one of the most-quoted lines in fantasy.
Modern usage
Quoted at every shiny pitch deck, glamorous job offer, glossy Instagram couple, and bull-market crypto token. Deployed by skeptical parents, financial advisors, and anyone who has been burned by impressive packaging before. Companion proverb to [[dont-judge-a-book-by-its-cover]], though pointed in the opposite warning direction.
In the wild
All that glisters is not gold; / Often have you heard that told.— Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice, 1596
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