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“Don’t judge a book by its cover” means not to use appearance to determine value. The phrase is of American origin and is used in English-speaking countries. It can be applied to people and objects, but quick judgments based on appearance are a survival instinct.
“Don’t judge a book by its cover” is a metaphorical expression and indicates that a person should not use the appearance of a thing to determine the value of its contents. The principle proposed by this idiom is transmitted through the idea of a book and its cover. Many people see a book cover and use the design or image on it to decide if the book itself is worth reading. When someone says “don’t judge a book by its cover,” it means that someone should look deeper or more closely into something before deciding on its worth.
The history of this popular proverb is somewhat difficult to determine, although it probably has an American origin. However, people have used the phrase “don’t judge a book by its cover” in a number of English-speaking countries, and it was used in the United States and the United Kingdom from the early to mid 20th century. The idea expressed by this idiom, that of not judging someone or something at face value, is probably older than the phrase itself. Since the term refers to books, specifically books with graphic or printed covers, it is however a fairly recent expression that is based on a rather modern object.
As an expression, “don’t judge a book by its cover” means that someone should look deeper into something before judging the merits of that thing. The basic idea is that people often look at a book cover and see the image that the publisher has decided to put on it. By looking at this image, people can then decide what the book’s contents are likely to be, and choose whether or not to read it based on that image. There is no guarantee, however, that a book cover is truly representative of the contents of it.
This basic idea can then be metaphorically extended to people or objects in the world that are not books. Someone who may look badly dressed could potentially be very wealthy; he or she may simply choose not to wear clothes that indicate that wealth. The reality of human nature, however, is that many people make quick judgments about objects and other people based on an initial assessment of appearance and behavior. While “don’t judge a book by its cover” may be fair policy when meeting someone new, the ability to quickly assess a situation is a survival instinct that has stuck with people and can potentially still serve to identify dangerous situations.
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