Proverbs analyzed: All that glitters is not gold

Everyone will have heard in one form or another that all that glitters is not gold. Sometimes the gold in the saying is also replaced by silver or both precious metals are mentioned. But what exactly is behind this saying? In this article we will take a closer look at this gold.

Mostly this saying is used when we initially estimate the value of something much more valuable than it actually is. For example, when we wish to be a famous Hollywood star, we usually overlook the fact that in this case we would have almost no privacy and would have to constantly think about how we present ourselves to the world and how it perceives us.

However, the phrase can also be understood to mean that things that are not just silver and gold, or other material things, are also of high value. This difference between outer appearance and inner value is incredibly important. Especially in this day and age, when as soon as you take your cell phone out of your pocket, you are presented with a hierarchy of values that is formed by companies that are only out to make a profit, it is important to know which things you should assign which value.

Especially in social media, we are shown that the accumulation of materialistic goods should bring fulfillment. Whether expensive clothes, cars, wild parties or expensive food, all this is presented to us with glamor and glory. But that we have to work for all this hours, weeks or years, and this usually in a profession that we do not even really like, because after all it is usually the unpleasant or boring jobs which offer a good salary. This time we can not arrange according to our liking. We often forget that it is time that is the scarcest resource in our lives.

So it is up to us to properly evaluate what we place value on in our lives, just as it is important to be wary of deceptions and false promises.

We should also not forget that it is mostly indirect product advertisements that we see in Influencer:in posts. They are probably planned sales strategies of marketing departments and not really just the recommendation of a person. These strategies are mostly exercised through a connection that we feel towards the Influencer:in - that is, through interpersonal relationships. For this purpose, extra psychologists are hired to exploit the human psyche as much as possible.

How many euros would it be worth to you to hug your mother, or generally spend time with your parents. When you're young, you take this for granted. You probably even get annoyed by your parents, because after all, at the beginning of your life you see them every day. But once you've moved out, you'll quickly realize that you see them less than you'd like. And as time goes on, you're reminded more and more of your parents' mortality. One day, when you no longer have the opportunity to spend time with them, you will wish you had taken more time during your lifetime and spent one more weekend with them.

Conclusion

We have to actively decide who or what we want to pay attention to. But it is precisely through the modern media that we are inconspicuously led by marketing experts and psychologists to set these values incorrectly. We should, before we buy something or dedicate our time to something, first consider whether it is worth it. Because all that glitters is not gold.

If you're also noticing more and more that most people have false value hierarchies and how you're actively working against it, feel free to share your opinion in the comments.