everyone is putting on appearances; society is all show
Proverb meaning that people in society tend to present a polished, false front rather than showing their true selves. Often used to comment on social hypocrisy or the pressure to keep up appearances.
Since society is all about appearances, it's hard to speak one's true feelings.
彼女はいつも完璧に見えるけど、世間は張り物って言うし、裏では苦労しているのかもね。
She always looks perfect, but as they say, everyone is putting on appearances; she might be struggling behind the scenes.
Focuses on an individual's act of showing off or pretending to be better than they are, while 世間は張り物 describes society as a whole being built on appearances.
Describes a person who presents a good face to the outside world but may be different in private; 世間は張り物 is a broader proverb about societal pretense.
A traditional Japanese proverb. 世間 (society) + は (topic marker) + 張り物 (something stretched or put on display, from 張る 'to stretch, to put up'). The image is of a surface that is stretched tight to look good, hiding what is underneath. The exact origin is uncertain, but it reflects a common cultural observation about social pretense.