The Economic Times

Proverb of the day from Turkey: 'Even if you put a saddle of pure gold on a donkey, it remains a donkey. The true worth of a human being is not measured...' Can money or luxury change who you really are? This Turkish saying has an answer

The Turkish proverb, Even if you put a saddle of pure gold on a donkey, it remains a donkey, reminds us that wealth, luxury and status cannot change a person's true character. Rooted in the writings of Ottoman poet Ziya Paa and later expanded with a modern moral, the saying highlights that real worth comes from conscience, wisdom and integrity rather than outward appearances.