Charm, in most men and nearly all women, is a decoration.

Hear the sharp and subtle wisdom of E. M. Forster: “Charm, in most men and nearly all women, is a decoration.” In this saying, he unveils the truth that charm is often not the essence of a soul, but an ornament placed upon it. Like gold upon wood, or paint upon stone, it may dazzle the eye yet conceal the substance beneath. The heart of the teaching is this: judge not by decoration, but by the foundation, for a house of marble pillars is stronger than a hut draped in silk.

The ancients knew of this duality. In Athens, Alcibiades was famed for his beauty, wit, and charm, yet beneath the glittering exterior lay ambition and treachery. His decoration swayed the people for a time, but in the end, his lack of steadfastness brought ruin upon himself and sorrow upon his city. Thus, Forster warns that to mistake charm for character is to be deceived, for charm may delight, but it does not endure when the storms of fate descend.

Consider, too, the example of Cleopatra. Her charm was legend, her voice and presence able to bend the wills of mighty men. Yet it was not mere decoration; for beneath the ornament lay sharp intellect, keen strategy, and unyielding ambition. In her case, the decoration was not hollow, but woven into substance. Here lies the deeper wisdom of Forster’s words: that when charm is mere surface, it is fleeting, but when it is joined to depth, it becomes a force that can shape empires.

The saying also holds a mirror to society, which often weighs women especially by their decoration—their charm, beauty, or grace—rather than their wisdom or power. Forster, in his keen observation, calls out this pattern, showing that what many exalt is but ornament, distracting from the deeper worth within. To see only charm is to see only the petals of the flower, forgetting the roots that give it life.

So let the generations remember: charm can delight, it can open doors, it can soften hearts. But it is not the pillar of character. It is the decoration, not the foundation. Seek the stone beneath the paint, the steel beneath the glitter, the truth beneath the smile. For in the end, when time strips away all ornaments, only substance remains.