trust, but verify

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English

Etymology

Calque of Russian доверя́й, но проверя́й (doverjáj, no proverjáj). Often attributed to Vladimir Lenin, although no written evidence exists. Popularized in English by Ronald Reagan in the context of nuclear disarmament.

Phrase

trust, but verify

  1. One should have general faith in the benevolent intentions of others, but ultimately one can only rely on things that have been verified.
    • 1987 December 9, Thom Shanker, “Battle turns gentle with proverbs galore”, in Chicago Tribune‎:
      Before affixing his signature, Reagan also told the Soviet leader — and reassured congressional conservatives worried about Kremlin compliance — that he would follow the Russian adage to "trust, but verify."
    • 2013, Kelly C Bourne, Application Administrators Handbook: Installing, Updating and Troubleshooting Software, Newnes, →ISBN, page 351:
      If I had blindly fulfilled her first request, it would have inconvenienced many other users and wouldn't have solved the problem. Never forget this phrase - “trust, but verify.”
    • 2014, David DeSteno, The Truth About Trust: How It Determines Success in Life, Love, Learning, and More, Penguin, →ISBN, page 97:
      Trust but verify—plain and simple. Well, mostly just verify, as the objective record removes the vulnerability of getting cheated.

Translations

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See also

Further reading

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