Meaning of faces we see, hearts we do not know (what does it mean, concept and definition)

What does it mean Faces we see, hearts we do not know:

"We see faces, we don't know hearts" is a popular saying originating from the Nahuas or Mexicas, which currently means that we cannot trust people's appearances because it tells us nothing about who they are or what they think.

The origin of the saying has a slightly different meaning. The ancient Nahuas had codes of moral conduct associated with the cultivation of a 'virtuous life'. A 'virtuous life' meant nurturing both parts of a person: the face and the heart.

For the Nahuas, since pre-Columbian times, people have the duality of the face and the heart urging them to 'cultivate a wise face and a firm heart', that is:

• have a righteous demeanor that translates into your outer image and face and have a strong will for virtue that translates into inner quality and heart.

Today, the saying totimehuacán "faces we see, hearts we do not know" has become popular in the Spanish-speaking world not for its meaning of leading a righteous life both internally and externally, but is known as a saying of mistrust towards others or of caution towards premature judgments.

The fables that are associated with the saying "faces we see, hearts we do not know" are generally of a predator and its natural prey, for example the cat and the mouse or the cat or the bird, who become friends until one day the predator cheats its prey and eats it.

In English it can be translated as:

• Appearance can be deceiving Treachery can show a friendly face Don't judge a book by its cover

You may also be interested in reading about Aztec culture here.

See also: The habit does not make the monk.