По одёжке встречают, по уму провожают
With accent marks:
По одёжке встреча́ют, по уму́ провожа́ют.
Translation:
You are greeted by your clothes but bid farewell by your mind.
Meaning:
We all tend to judge others and the first judgement comes from how people look (their clothes, manners). Moreover, we often automatically ascribe qualities to attractive people that they may not have: we consider them smarter, more intelligent, more interesting than someone else whose appearance is not so expressive. But behind a beautiful picture you can not hide emptiness, narrow-mindedness and quarrelsome character. So you are greeted by your clothes, but it's your mind and intelligence define how people will say goodbye to you.
Other Russian proverbs
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You can't command to the heart.
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Some to the forest, some for firewood.
-
В чужом глазу соринку видим, а в своём бревна не замечаем
Оne sees the mote in another's eye and ignores the log in his own.
-
Fear has big eyes.
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When I eat I am deaf and mute.
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Терпи, казак – атаманом станешь!
Be patient, Cossack - you will become an ataman!
-
Готовь сани летом, а телегу зимой
Get your sleigh ready in summer and your (horse-drawn) cart in winter.
-
Eggs don't teach the chicken.
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