proverb · Words worth keeping
A person cannot be judged by his appearance in the same token as the sea cannot be measured with a bucket.
A person cannot be judged by his appearance in the same token as the sea cannot be measured with a bucket.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
A person judged by appearance is compared with a sea measured by a bucket. The saying treats a small visible sample as inadequate for a much larger assessment.
What the words are saying
The source’s irregular phrase in the same token is retained. A useful interpretation asks what actual evidence concerns a person’s conduct rather than deciding from looks. The scale comparison does not make every impression useless, but it rejects treating one surface feature as sufficient understanding.
Everyday example
A reviewer considers relevant behaviour and work instead of deciding a person’s merit from presentation alone.
When to use it
Use it to explain limited evidence and appearance-based judgment.
What it does not mean
No complete personal understanding or moral verdict follows from appearance.
Agent-assisted editorial interpretation. This explains the words; it does not by itself verify their author or earliest origin.
Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- Traditional
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
China
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin.- Historical period
- Historical period not yet established
No sufficiently supported historical placement has been established. Import and download dates are not treated as composition dates. - Recorded source
- Contributor-provided wisdom reference (2014 AD)
Supplied reference B; unit 287; PDF page 31; collection label: China
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.
- Culture
- China