важен не чин, а начин

<в человеке> важен не чин, а начин

посл.

it's not the frills but the filling that counts in a man; cf. it is not the gay coat that makes the gentleman; the cowl (hood) does not make the monk

После ухода Андрея главный бухгалтер задумчиво сказал: - В человеке важен не чин, а начин. (Д. Гранин, Искатели) — When Andrei left, the chief accountant said thoughtfully: 'It's not the frills but the filling that counts in a man.'