# "Don't judge a book by its cover" is the saying Americans most live by

Canonical page: https://data.verasight.io/culture/dont-judge-a-book-by-its-cover-is-the-saying-americans-most-live-by/

> Indexed question in Culture.

## Reading

Six-in-ten Americans (60%) count “Don’t judge a book by its cover” among the sayings that guide how they approach life, more than any other adage, according to an October 2024 Verasight survey of 1,000 U.S. adults.

Nearly half (48%) live by “You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink,” and about four-in-ten each embrace “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” (41%) and “Slow and steady wins the race” (41%). Far fewer hold to “Children ought to be seen and not heard” (9%) or “It is better to be feared than loved” (8%), and 7% say none of these sayings describe how they live.

## Topline

There are many sayings that people use to guide decisions they make in life. Please read the following statements below and indicate which of them is how you approach your own life

"Don't judge a book by its cover" is the saying Americans most live by.

Respondents could select more than one option, so shares may sum to more than 100%.

- Don’t judge a book by its cover.: 60.3%
- You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink.: 47.9%
- If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.: 41.1%
- Slow and steady wins the race.: 40.7%
- Children ought to be seen and not heard.: 9.2%
- It is better to be feared than loved.: 7.5%
- None of these apply.: 7.1%

## Methodology

- Mode: Verasight panel recruited via random address-based sampling, random person-to-person text messaging, and dynamic online targeting
- Population: US adults age 18+
- Field dates: 2024-10-01 → 2024-10-11
- Base (unweighted): 1,000
- Margin of error: +/- 3.4%
- Module: media_fin
- Sponsor: Verasight
- Weight variable: weight
- Weighting targets: age, race/ethnicity, sex, income, education, region, metropolitan status

## Source

- Canonical question URL: [https://verasight-apsa-2024.tiiny.co#meaningful-sayings](https://verasight-apsa-2024.tiiny.co#meaningful-sayings)

## Citation

Verasight APSA Omnibus Survey #2024-103, fielded October 1-11, 2024, N=1,000 US adults age 18+, +/- 3.4%.

Canonical question URL: [https://verasight-apsa-2024.tiiny.co#meaningful-sayings](https://verasight-apsa-2024.tiiny.co#meaningful-sayings)