As above, so below

Bacon's philosopher might be forgiven for looking too much upwards and not enough down. We look “up” not just to the stars and the sky, but to those we admire and to our highest ideals. We look “down,” as often as not, on things we despise, things beneath us, which are low, mean, and base. Familiarity breeds contempt, and it is easy to forget that what lies beneath may also run deep.

Figuratively speaking, up is where it's at. Up is above, on top of, superior to, beyond; it is higher than, taller than, farther than, and more. It can be a location or a direction. It is defined within a larger frame, the vertical scale, which it shares with down – normally, the physical dimension parallel to an upright person standing erect on an even surface.