“It is not the fault of the son to be ugly, and shame comes from deeds, not from colors.”Miguel de Cervantes · Don Quijote · 1615 · Partea II, capitolul 6
Deserved shame comes only from deeds, because only deeds are chosen.
The line separates two things society often confuses: appearance and character. Nobody chooses the face or the background they are born with, so no one can be guilty of them. Guilt appears only where there is a choice — in actions. The mechanism is moral: deserved shame is tied to responsibility. A plain-looking man who keeps his word and works honestly has a dignity that no appearance can take away, while a handsome man who lies loses it through his own deeds.
Why it matters Useful in an image-obsessed world: it reminds both those judged by their looks and those doing the judging that moral worth is measured differently.