Appearances can be deceptive is an old adage that most of us can recognize or might have experienced at some point in our lives. Appearance does play a very important role in many aspects of life.
People are often enamoured by physical appearances, social standings, ways of dressing and even footwear. Appearances hold a clear advantage for businesses. For example, in real estate business, the façade and external looks of a building might fetch great customers. In truth, there might be many hidden faults in various aspects of the building's structure, plumbing or electrical lines. This can be true for any said product or service in today's world. Packaging has gained greater priority as appearance can attract customers. With online shopping becoming the in-thing customers are attracted to products because of the manner it is presented in, but when the product arrives it is far from what we had imagined or seen on the website.
Though higher credibility of appearances can prove faulty in some fields like medicine, finance or education. Promises are squandered and people fall into misfortune because they are gullible.
This can be true of human beings also. People give so much significance to the appearance that we fail to see beyond the mask. The mask might hide flaws, bad character or even suffering and pain.
In some cases, it might hide bravery, for example, the legend of Fa Mulan. popularized by the Disney movie Mulan: talks about the story of a girl named Mulan of the Chinese Han dynasty who impersonates a man. The appearance of a man held within a fierce and brave girl who fought along her men for the country.
In other instances, we meet people who seem sophisticated and refined but are proud and selfish, seeking their own end, never bothering about the good of others. We might find such people in the family, community, state or country.
There are many examples, in our day to day lives when appearances have been deceptive and it has been true in history across all nations too; where people followed great leaders for their charisma but were brutal and heartless in their pursuits against humanity.
In contrast, at times some people who had been declared as outcast have been found to be wonderful people. Similarly, a person might be apprehensive about stranger, might turn out to be the 'good Samaritan' when the realization occurs.
To conclude, one can boldly say that appearances can be deceptive and the question is that whether we are able to see what lies beyond the veil.
