From a distance it is something; and nearby it is nothing.
De loin, c'est quelque chose; et de prés, ce n'est rien.
Original text (French)
More quotes by Jean de La Fontaine
Man is so made that when anything fires his soul, impossibilities vanish.
Dressed in the lion's skin, the ass spread terror far and wide.
Beware, as long as you live, of judging people by appearances.
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Attribution
Quote text and notes from Wikiquote: Jean de La Fontaine (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source quality and labels are our own summary of what Wikiquote records.