The grass is always greener on the other side - until you get

“The grass is always greener on the other side—until you get there and see it’s AstroTurf. Symbols are never reality. Someone might have amassed material success and fame, but that doesn’t mean they’re happy. So, don’t go judging a person’s life by the cover.” Thus speaks Karen Salmansohn, with the voice of one who has looked beyond the shining veil of appearances and found it empty. In her words, there is both warning and wisdom: beware of envy, beware of illusions, for what seems lush and radiant from afar may, upon closer sight, prove artificial, lifeless, and hollow.

The origin of this truth is as old as human longing. The proverb “the grass is always greener” has been spoken for centuries, reflecting the tendency of the heart to desire what it does not have, to imagine that another’s life is richer, freer, more joyful. Yet Salmansohn adds a piercing addition: sometimes what looks like paradise is nothing more than AstroTurf—a symbol, an imitation, a performance of happiness that hides the truth of emptiness within. Here lies her revelation: symbols are never reality. To envy the outward signs of success is to hunger for a shadow, not the substance.

History gives us countless witnesses of this lesson. Consider the life of Marilyn Monroe, adored by millions, crowned with beauty and fame. From the outside, her life seemed gilded with every blessing: wealth, recognition, love from all corners of the earth. Yet behind the curtain she battled loneliness, despair, and heartbreak. The “green grass” that the world saw was but the AstroTurf of image, not the true soil of joy. Her story reminds us that fame and material success are not equal to peace or fulfillment.

Likewise, think of the tale of King Midas, who longed for wealth above all else. Granted the golden touch, he believed he had found the ultimate blessing. But soon his food turned to gold, his drink turned to gold, even his beloved daughter became lifeless metal in his arms. The symbol of wealth became his curse, teaching him that what shines is not always what sustains. His story is the ancient echo of Salmansohn’s words: symbols deceive, and what appears prosperous may be barren of true life.

Yet there are also brighter examples, those who saw through symbols and found contentment in simplicity. Diogenes the Cynic, who lived in a clay jar and owned almost nothing, once watched Alexander the Great approach him with pomp and power. When Alexander offered to grant him any wish, Diogenes simply replied, “Stand out of my sunlight.” He needed no AstroTurf, no illusion of grandeur. He had the sun, his freedom, and his truth. In this, he proved that happiness is found not in what dazzles others, but in living authentically.

Salmansohn’s words carry a double lesson. First, do not envy what you see in another’s life, for you do not know the hidden cost or the hidden sorrow. Second, do not measure yourself by symbols—titles, possessions, appearances—for they cannot guarantee joy. The cover of life may be beautiful, but what matters is the story within. Judge not by image, but by substance. Seek not what looks radiant to others, but what feels true and alive to you.

Therefore, let each person act with wisdom. Guard your heart against envy, for envy blinds you to the blessings you already hold. Seek authenticity over appearance, and cultivate inner joy rather than chasing outward symbols. When you look at another’s life, remember that you see only the surface, never the full depth. And when you build your own life, let it be rooted in truth, not in performance. For AstroTurf withers not because of time, but because it was never alive.

So let Salmansohn’s words endure: “Symbols are never reality… don’t go judging a person’s life by the cover.” Take them as a command to see beyond the glitter, beyond the mask, beyond the illusion of perfection. For true happiness does not grow in artificial fields, but in the soil of authenticity, watered by gratitude and nourished by truth. Seek that soil, and you will never be deceived by the shine of AstroTurf again.