--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We are inclined to believe those whom we…" description: "\"We are inclined to believe those whom we do not know because they have never deceived us.\" — Samuel Johnson" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/261/samuel-johnson-50_believe_we-are-inclined-to-believe-those-whom-we_983965.png" --- # We are inclined to believe those whom we do not know… ![“We are inclined to believe those whom we do not know because they have never deceived us.” quote by Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/261/samuel-johnson-50_believe_we-are-inclined-to-believe-those-whom-we_983965.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/261/samuel-johnson-50_believe_we-are-inclined-to-believe-those-whom-we_983965.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/261/samuel-johnson-50_believe_we-are-inclined-to-believe-those-whom-we_983965.png) > “We are inclined to believe those whom we do not know because they have never deceived us.” [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. We trust strangers who have never deceived us, assuming familiarity equates to honesty. **In simple terms:** We trust the unknown because they haven’t lied yet. Key Takeaway Question assumptions about trust. Themes trust human nature assumptions Mood skeptical thoughtful Type philosophical reflective When to use this quote - everyday interactions - business negotiations - online dating - new relationships Key Concepts philosophy social psychology Questions to Reflect On - What evidence truly builds trust? - How do you verify trustworthiness? A Different Perspective Blind trust can be exploited. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe/) [Believe Know](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe-know/) [Deceived](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deceived/) [Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) [Inclined Believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inclined-believe-836429/) [Know](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/know/) [Know Deceived](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/know-deceived-1971502/) ## Related quotes > [Except during the nine months before he draws his first breath, no man manages his affairs as well as a tree. We are inclined…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/except-during-the-nine-months-before-he-draws-his-first-breath-no-man-2/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [I'm inclined to believe you need the psychiatrist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/i-m-inclined-to-believe-you-need-the-psychiatrist/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [When someone gives me three reasons instead of one, I'm inclined not to believe any of them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-millar/when-someone-gives-me-three-reasons-instead-of-one-i-m-inclined-not/) [Margaret Millar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-millar/) > [People are much more inclined to believe and say bad things about you if you're famous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danielle-steel/people-are-much-more-inclined-to-believe-and-say-bad-things-about-you/) [Danielle Steel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danielle-steel/) > [As one may bring himself to believe almost anything he is inclined to believe, it makes all the difference whether we begin or end…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-whately/as-one-may-bring-himself-to-believe-almost-anything-he-is-inclined-to/) [Richard Whately](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-whately/) > [“It has never been more difficult to convince the American public of anything that it is not already inclined to believe. —”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-koppel/it-has-never-been-more-difficult-to-convince-the-american-public-of/) [Ted Koppel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-koppel/) > [I believe in myself and I know what I can do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ross-barkley/i-believe-in-myself-and-i-know-what-i-can-do/) [Ross Barkley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ross-barkley/) > [Believe in yourself and all that you are. Know that there is something inside you that is greater than any obstacle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/believe-in-yourself-and-all-that-you-are-know-that-there-is-something/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [We are all prompted by the same motives, all deceived by the same fallacies, all animated by hope, obstructed by danger, entangled by desire,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/we-are-all-prompted-by-the-same-motives-all-deceived-by-the-same/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [To believe is to know you believe, and to know you believe is not to believe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-paul-sartre/to-believe-is-to-know-you-believe-and-to-know-you-believe-is-not-to/) [Jean-Paul Sartre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-paul-sartre/) > [What do I believe? I do not know; I do not know; I do not know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/what-do-i-believe-i-do-not-know-i-do-not-know-i-do-not-know/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [You might at least believe that I know honor- honor and debt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/you-might-at-least-believe-that-i-know-honor-honor-and-debt/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [I believe that we do not know anything for certain, but everything probably.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christiaan-huygens/i-believe-that-we-do-not-know-anything-for-certain-but-everything/) [Christiaan Huygens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christiaan-huygens/) > [Give advice to your children while they're young enough to believe you know what you're talking about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-jong/give-advice-to-your-children-while-they-re-young-enough-to-believe/) [Erica Jong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-jong/) > [Followers of the occult believe in only what they already know, and in those things that confirm what they have already learned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umberto-eco/followers-of-the-occult-believe-in-only-what-they-already-know-and-in/) [Umberto Eco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umberto-eco/) ## More by Samuel Johnson > [The size of a man's understanding might always be justly measured by his mirth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-size-of-a-man-s-understanding-might-always-be-justly-measured-by/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Pound St. Paul's Church into atoms, and consider any single atom; it is to be sure, good for nothing; but put all these atoms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/pound-st-paul-s-church-into-atoms-and-consider-any-single-atom-it-is/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [You can never be wise unless you love reading.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/you-can-never-be-wise-unless-you-love-reading/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [If our aim is to praise, we should forget to criticize; if our aim is to criticize, we should remember to praise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/if-our-aim-is-to-praise-we-should-forget-to-criticize-if-our-aim-is/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [All theory is against free will; all experience is for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/all-theory-is-against-free-will-all-experience-is-for-it/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Had I learned to fiddle, I should have done nothing else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/had-i-learned-to-fiddle-i-should-have-done-nothing-else/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [It is as foolish to make experiments upon the constancy of a friend, as upon the chastity of a wife.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/it-is-as-foolish-to-make-experiments-upon-the-constancy-of-a-friend/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Resolve not to be poor: whatever you have, spend less. Poverty is a great enemy to human happiness; it certainly destroys liberty, and it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/resolve-not-to-be-poor-whatever-you-have-spend-less-poverty-is-a/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [The basis of all excellence is truth: he that professes love ought to feel its power.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-basis-of-all-excellence-is-truth-he-that-professes-love-ought-to/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Words are daughters of earth but ideas are sons of heaven.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/words-are-daughters-of-earth-but-ideas-are-sons-of-heaven/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [“The composition of Shakespeare is a forest, in which oaks extend in the air, interspersed sometimes with weeds and brambles, and sometimes giving shelting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-composition-of-shakespeare-is-a-forest-in-which-oaks-extend-in/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [“The cherubim were never intended as an object of worship, because they were only the appendices to another thing. But a thing is then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-cherubim-were-never-intended-as-an-object-of-worship-because-they/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Nobody has the right to put another under such a difficulty that he must either hurt the person by telling the truth or hurt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/nobody-has-the-right-to-put-another-under-such-a-difficulty-that-he/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [That kind of life is most happy which affords us most opportunities of gaining our own self-esteem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/that-kind-of-life-is-most-happy-which-affords-us-most-opportunities/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [The time will come to every human being when it must be known how well he can bear to die.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-time-will-come-to-every-human-being-when-it-must-be-known-how/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) [Explore all 1,998 Samuel Johnson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) ## More Believe quotes > [I actually think acting is a form of self-hypnosis. You have to be hyper, hyper aware of what's going on around you. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-moore/i-actually-think-acting-is-a-form-of-self-hypnosis-you-have-to-be/) [Julianne Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-moore/) > [Some people still believe you should just fall in line with what's going on - and that's scary. It makes a mockery of freedom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-robison/some-people-still-believe-you-should-just-fall-in-line-with-what-s/) [Emily Robison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-robison/) > [The truth seems to be that propaganda on its own cannot force its way into unwilling minds; neither can it inculcate something wholly new;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/the-truth-seems-to-be-that-propaganda-on-its-own-cannot-force-its-way/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [Resist discouragement by speaking His Word over your future. Keep standing. Keep hoping; keep believing because He is working behind the scenes. He's going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/resist-discouragement-by-speaking-his-word-over-your-future-keep/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [I can't believe that I'm sitting in meetings with Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Annette Bening. I want to take on that responsibility to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-can-t-believe-that-i-m-sitting-in-meetings-with-steven-spielberg/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [There is no such word as item girl in the dictionary. People have created this word and I don't believe that I am an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shefali-zariwala/there-is-no-such-word-as-item-girl-in-the-dictionary-people-have/) [Shefali Zariwala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shefali-zariwala/) > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [I don't really like too much credit. I know nobody's going to believe this, but I'd rather be able to score goals and nobody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bradley-wright-phillips/i-don-t-really-like-too-much-credit-i-know-nobody-s-going-to-believe/) [Bradley Wright-Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bradley-wright-phillips/) > [“What I have a problem with is not so much religion or god, but faith. When you say you believe something in your heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/what-i-have-a-problem-with-is-not-so-much-religion-or-god-but-faith/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [Bush reiterated his stand to conservatives opposing his decision on stem cell research. He said today he believes life begins at conception and ends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/bush-reiterated-his-stand-to-conservatives-opposing-his-decision-on/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) > [Never underestimate the power of the human mind to believe what it wants to believe, no matter the conflicting evidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-herbert/never-underestimate-the-power-of-the-human-mind-to-believe-what-it/) [Brian Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-herbert/) > [To believe in love, to be ready to give up anything for it, to be willing to risk your life for it, is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-dicaprio/to-believe-in-love-to-be-ready-to-give-up-anything-for-it-to-be/) [Leonardo DiCaprio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-dicaprio/) > [That's why I don't generally talk about endorsements because I don't believe we have to tell people who to vote for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-iii/that-s-why-i-don-t-generally-talk-about-endorsements-because-i-don-t/) [Martin Luther King III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-iii/) > [Mankind have been slow to believe that order reigns in the universe-that the world is a cosmos and a chaos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/mankind-have-been-slow-to-believe-that-order-reigns-in-the-universe/) [James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) > [We instantly believe everything we think. Isn't that insane? It's good for us to explore the depravity of our minds, so we know we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krishna-das/we-instantly-believe-everything-we-think-isn-t-that-insane-it-s-good/) [Krishna Das](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krishna-das/) [Browse all 47,704 Believe quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We are inclined to believe those whom we do not know because they have never deceived us.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Samuel Johnson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/we-are-inclined-to-believe-those-whom-we-do-not-know-because-they/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Believe" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/we-are-inclined-to-believe-those-whom-we-do-not-know-because-they/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/261/samuel-johnson-50_believe_we-are-inclined-to-believe-those-whom-we_983965.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/261/samuel-johnson-50_believe_we-are-inclined-to-believe-those-whom-we_983965.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/261/samuel-johnson-50_believe_we-are-inclined-to-believe-those-whom-we_983965.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We are inclined to believe those whom we do not know because they have never deceived us.” — Samuel Johnson", "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": "Samuel Johnson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "We are inclined to believe those...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/we-are-inclined-to-believe-those-whom-we-do-not-know-because-they/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/we-are-inclined-to-believe-those-whom-we-do-not-know-because-they/#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 } } ] } ```