---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Should we distrust the man because his…"
description: "\"Should we distrust the man because his manners are not our manners, and that his skin is dark?\" — James F. Cooper"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/90e/james-f-cooper-7716_dark_should-we-distrust-the-man-because-his-m_2950911.png"
---

#  Should we distrust the man because his manners are not our…

![“Should we distrust the man because his manners are not our manners, and that his skin is dark?” quote by James F. Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/90e/james-f-cooper-7716_dark_should-we-distrust-the-man-because-his-m_2950911.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/90e/james-f-cooper-7716_dark_should-we-distrust-the-man-because-his-m_2950911.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/90e/james-f-cooper-7716_dark_should-we-distrust-the-man-because-his-m_2950911.png)

> “Should we distrust the man because his manners are not our manners, and that his skin is dark?”

[James F. Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-f-cooper/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Judging someone by appearance or customs leads to prejudice; true assessment requires deeper understanding.

**In simple terms:** Avoid judging by looks or manners.

Key Takeaway

Seek deeper understanding before judging.

Themes

prejudice social justice human dignity

Mood

thoughtful serious

Type

ethical reflective

When to use this quote

- interpersonal interactions
- community building
- policy making

Key Concepts

bias cultural differences empathy

Questions to Reflect On

- How can we recognize our own biases?
- What steps foster genuine empathy?

A Different Perspective

Changing ingrained biases is challenging.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Dark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dark/) [Distrust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/distrust/) [Manners](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/manners/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/)

## Related quotes

> [Distrust that man who tells you to distrust.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ella-wheeler-wilcox/distrust-that-man-who-tells-you-to-distrust/)

[Ella Wheeler Wilcox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ella-wheeler-wilcox/)

> [Distrust that man who tells you to distrust. He takes the measure of his own small soul, and thinks the world no larger.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ella-wheeler-wilcox/distrust-that-man-who-tells-you-to-distrust-he-takes-the-measure-of/)

[Ella Wheeler Wilcox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ella-wheeler-wilcox/)

> [“Better be dead than living without nobility. I'm an Englishman, a man of manners.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-rana/better-be-dead-than-living-without-nobility-i-m-an-englishman-a-man/)

[Deepak Rana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-rana/)

> [Beware of a man with manners.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eudora-welty/beware-of-a-man-with-manners/)

[Eudora Welty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eudora-welty/)

> [I distrust a man that says when. If he's got to be careful not to drink to much it's because he's not to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dashiell-hammett/i-distrust-a-man-that-says-when-if-he-s-got-to-be-careful-not-to/)

[Dashiell Hammett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dashiell-hammett/)

> [Would there be any truth in saying that psychology was created by the sophists to sow distrust between man and his world?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudolf-arnheim/would-there-be-any-truth-in-saying-that-psychology-was-created-by-the/)

[Rudolf Arnheim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudolf-arnheim/)

> [Marriage indeed may qualify the fury of his passion, but it very rarely mends a man's manners.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-congreve/marriage-indeed-may-qualify-the-fury-of-his-passion-but-it-very/)

[William Congreve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-congreve/)

> [A man's manners are a mirror in which he shows his portrait.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/a-man-s-manners-are-a-mirror-in-which-he-shows-his-portrait/)

[Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/)

> [“Light skin, dark skin, my Asian persuasion/ I got them all that’s why these girls out here hatin’” —JANET JACKSON”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-divine/light-skin-dark-skin-my-asian-persuasion-i-got-them-all-that-s-why/)

[L. Divine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-divine/)

> [Know what suits you. I would never wear brown, because it just doesn't work with my pale skin and dark hair. Also I wouldn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leigh-lezark/know-what-suits-you-i-would-never-wear-brown-because-it-just-doesn-t/)

[Leigh Lezark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leigh-lezark/)

> [“His skin was dark, his face tanned, little crinkles at the corners of his eyes. Sun lines, not laugh lines, she was sure. She…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kat-martin/his-skin-was-dark-his-face-tanned-little-crinkles-at-the-corners-of/)

[Kat Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kat-martin/)

> [If people wanted to fight me-because of my hair or because my skin was too dark-then I fought them](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brooke-valentine/if-people-wanted-to-fight-me-because-of-my-hair-or-because-my-skin/)

[Brooke Valentine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brooke-valentine/)

> [“There´s nothing good about watching another man claim your ship because your skin is to dark to do it yourself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mackenzi-lee/there-s-nothing-good-about-watching-another-man-claim-your-ship/)

[Mackenzi Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mackenzi-lee/)

> [“I am left alone with the beautiful dark coal black eyes, pale white skin, dark wavy hair man and I CAN'T BREATHE!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-l-mankin/i-am-left-alone-with-the-beautiful-dark-coal-black-eyes-pale-white/)

R.L. Mankin

> [My skin is dark and glows. It almost seems blue, and it's supersoft.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khoudia-diop/my-skin-is-dark-and-glows-it-almost-seems-blue-and-it-s-supersoft/)

[Khoudia Diop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khoudia-diop/)

## More by James F. Cooper

> [There is a destiny in war, to which a brave man knows how to submit with the same courage that he faces his foes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-f-cooper/there-is-a-destiny-in-war-to-which-a-brave-man-knows-how-to-submit/)

[James F. Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-f-cooper/)

> [It is a misfortune that necessity has induced men to accord greater license to this formidable engine, in order to obtain liberty, than can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-f-cooper/it-is-a-misfortune-that-necessity-has-induced-men-to-accord-greater/)

[James F. Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-f-cooper/)

> [Individuality is the aim of political liberty. By leaving to the citizen as much freedom of action and of being as comports with order…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-f-cooper/individuality-is-the-aim-of-political-liberty-by-leaving-to-the/)

[James F. Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-f-cooper/)

> [All greatness of character is dependent on individuality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-f-cooper/all-greatness-of-character-is-dependent-on-individuality/)

[James F. Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-f-cooper/)

> [The ability to discriminate between that which is true and that which is false is one of the last attainments of the human mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-f-cooper/the-ability-to-discriminate-between-that-which-is-true-and-that-which/)

[James F. Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-f-cooper/)

> [Party leads to vicious, corrupt and unprofitable legislation, for the sole purpose of defeating party.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-f-cooper/party-leads-to-vicious-corrupt-and-unprofitable-legislation-for-the/)

[James F. Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-f-cooper/)

> [The disposition of all power is to abuses, nor does it at all mend the matter that its possessors are a majority. Unrestrained political…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-f-cooper/the-disposition-of-all-power-is-to-abuses-nor-does-it-at-all-mend-the/)

[James F. Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-f-cooper/)

> [The very existence of government at all, infers inequality. The citizen who is preferred to office becomes the superior of those who are not,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-f-cooper/the-very-existence-of-government-at-all-infers-inequality-the-citizen/)

[James F. Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-f-cooper/)

> [These families, you know, are our upper crust, not upper ten thousand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-f-cooper/these-families-you-know-are-our-upper-crust-not-upper-ten-thousand/)

[James F. Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-f-cooper/)

> [The disposition of all power is to abuses, nor does it at all mend the matter that its possessors are a majority.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-f-cooper/the-disposition-of-all-power-is-to-abuses-nor-does-it-at-all-mend-the-2/)

[James F. Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-f-cooper/)

> [It is seldom men think of death in the pride of their health and strength.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-f-cooper/it-is-seldom-men-think-of-death-in-the-pride-of-their-health-and/)

[James F. Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-f-cooper/)

> [God has given the salt lick to the deer; and He has given to man, red-skin and white, the delicious spring at which to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-f-cooper/god-has-given-the-salt-lick-to-the-deer-and-he-has-given-to-man-red/)

[James F. Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-f-cooper/)

> [In America the taint of sectarianism lies broad upon the land. Not content with acknowledging the supremacy as the Diety, and with erecting temples…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-f-cooper/in-america-the-taint-of-sectarianism-lies-broad-upon-the-land-not-2/)

[James F. Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-f-cooper/)

> [In America, it is indispensable that every well wisher of true liberty should understand that acts of tyranny can only proceed from the publick.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-f-cooper/in-america-it-is-indispensable-that-every-well-wisher-of-true-liberty/)

[James F. Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-f-cooper/)

> [Slavery is no more sinful, by the Christian code, than it is sinful to wear a whole coat, while another is in tatters, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-f-cooper/slavery-is-no-more-sinful-by-the-christian-code-than-it-is-sinful-to/)

[James F. Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-f-cooper/)

[Explore all 88 James F. Cooper quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-f-cooper/)

## More Dark quotes

> [Crony capitalism is essentially a condition in which... public officials are giving favours to people in the private sector in payment of political favours.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-greenspan/crony-capitalism-is-essentially-a-condition-in-which-public-officials/)

[Alan Greenspan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-greenspan/)

> [“I could see her will leaving and death seeping through her skin to skewer her soul.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-stroube/i-could-see-her-will-leaving-and-death-seeping-through-her-skin-to/)

[J.D. Stroube](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-stroube/)

> [The soul wanders in the dark, until it finds love. And so, wherever our love goes, there we find our soul.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-zimmerman/the-soul-wanders-in-the-dark-until-it-finds-love-and-so-wherever-our/)

[Mary Zimmerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-zimmerman/)

> [“Men circle like bees around honey, buzzing to communicate their sexual despair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carla-h-krueger/men-circle-like-bees-around-honey-buzzing-to-communicate-their-sexual/)

[Carla H Krueger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carla-h-krueger/)

> [All comedy comes from a dark place.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katt-williams/all-comedy-comes-from-a-dark-place/)

[Katt Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katt-williams/)

> [It's a really dark, emotionally wrenching world that we've created on 'The Walking Dead.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-holden/it-s-a-really-dark-emotionally-wrenching-world-that-we-ve-created-on/)

[Laurie Holden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-holden/)

> [I get afraid of the dark if I'm in a great deal of dark, and I have to move around inside of that fear...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emil-ferris/i-get-afraid-of-the-dark-if-i-m-in-a-great-deal-of-dark-and-i-have-to/)

[Emil Ferris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emil-ferris/)

> [I guess he'll have to figure out someday that he is supposed to have this dark side, that it is part of what it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/i-guess-he-ll-have-to-figure-out-someday-that-he-is-supposed-to-have/)

[Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/)

> [“Once upon a time, there was a naïve and innocent girl who thought she could tame the beast and live happily ever after. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nenia-campbell/once-upon-a-time-there-was-a-na-ve-and-innocent-girl-who-thought-she/)

[Nenia Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nenia-campbell/)

> [Memory revises me. Even now a letter comes from a place I don’t know, from someone with my name and postmarked years ago, while…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/li-young-lee/memory-revises-me-even-now-a-letter-comes-from-a-place-i-don-t-know/)

[Li-Young Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/li-young-lee/)

> [Like the water of a deep stream, love is always too much. We did not make it. Though we drink till we burst, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-berry/like-the-water-of-a-deep-stream-love-is-always-too-much-we-did-not/)

[Wendell Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-berry/)

> [Let death bless me with you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/let-death-bless-me-with-you/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“what do you call/that space between the dark geographies of sex?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natasha-trethaway/what-do-you-call-that-space-between-the-dark-geographies-of-sex/)

Natasha Trethaway

> [Twinking tears in a sea of black. Soft light in a world of darkness. Tiny wishes in a place of dreams. Do you see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-gentile/twinking-tears-in-a-sea-of-black-soft-light-in-a-world-of-darkness/)

Nicole Gentile

> [Even in the dark your shadow is like a guide to me! you are my rising sun that brings forth hope just as it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nkemjika-linus/even-in-the-dark-your-shadow-is-like-a-guide-to-me-you-are-my-rising/)

[Nkemjika Linus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nkemjika-linus/)

[Browse all 10,198 Dark quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dark/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Should we distrust the man because his manners are not our manners, and that his skin is dark?",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "James F. Cooper"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-f-cooper/should-we-distrust-the-man-because-his-manners-are-not-our-manners/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Dark"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-f-cooper/should-we-distrust-the-man-because-his-manners-are-not-our-manners/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/90e/james-f-cooper-7716_dark_should-we-distrust-the-man-because-his-m_2950911.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/90e/james-f-cooper-7716_dark_should-we-distrust-the-man-because-his-m_2950911.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/90e/james-f-cooper-7716_dark_should-we-distrust-the-man-because-his-m_2950911.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Should we distrust the man because his manners are not our manners, and that his skin is dark?” — James F. Cooper",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "James F. Cooper",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-f-cooper/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Should we distrust the man because...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-f-cooper/should-we-distrust-the-man-because-his-manners-are-not-our-manners/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-f-cooper/should-we-distrust-the-man-because-his-manners-are-not-our-manners/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
