proverb · Words worth keeping
Better to be too skeptical than to be too trusting.
Better to be too skeptical than to be too trusting.
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
Excessive skepticism preferred to excessive trust values caution about claims. The saying gives doubt a protective role.
Example
A reader asks for support for a consequential claim while remaining willing to revise their doubts.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
The choice between two excesses is not a universal decision rule. A useful application checks evidence, consequences and whether continued doubt is warranted. Trust can be reasonable when well supported, while refusing every account can impede learning and relationships. The phrase supplies no complete test for credibility.
When to use it
Use it to discuss calibrated trust with evidence examined.
Keep in mind
No universal superiority of suspicion or reason to reject supported information is established.
An interpretation of the words, not a claim about their earliest origin.
Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- Traditional
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
China
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin.- Historical period
- Date unknown
- Culture
- China