Men are not to be judged by the face they show in society, but by the face they show to misfortune.
Faria offers a measuring stick for character. It explains why Edmond’s enemies collapse when pressure arrives: their masks were not made for weather. The aphorism becomes the Count’s testing rubric in Paris. Emotionally, it gives readers a fairer way to read people—watch them under weight. It’s not cynicism; it’s calibration. The book hands you this tool, then demonstrates it.