--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Trust is built on telling the truth, not…" description: "\"Trust is built on telling the truth, not telling people what they want to hear.\" — Simon Sinek" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/212/simon-sinek-349_built_trust-is-built-on-telling-the-truth-not_2547825.png" --- # Trust is built on telling the truth, not telling people… ![“Trust is built on telling the truth, not telling people what they want to hear.” quote by Simon Sinek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/212/simon-sinek-349_built_trust-is-built-on-telling-the-truth-not_2547825.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/212/simon-sinek-349_built_trust-is-built-on-telling-the-truth-not_2547825.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/212/simon-sinek-349_built_trust-is-built-on-telling-the-truth-not_2547825.png) > “Trust is built on telling the truth, not telling people what they want to hear.” [Simon Sinek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-sinek/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Trust grows when we are honest, not when we tell people what they want to hear. **In simple terms:** Honesty builds trust, not flattery. Key Takeaway Be truthful, even if uncomfortable. Themes trust honesty communication Mood reflective serious Type advice leadership When to use this quote - leadership meetings - team building - customer service - personal relationships Key Concepts integrity psychology relationships Questions to Reflect On - How can you balance honesty with empathy? - When is it appropriate to soften truth? A Different Perspective People may resist truth, causing conflict or discomfort. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Built](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/built/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Telling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/telling/) [Telling People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/telling-people/) [Telling the truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/telling-the-truth/) [Telling truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/telling-truth/) [Trust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trust/) [Trust Built](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trust-built-389535/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) [Truth Telling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth-telling-731035/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/) ## Related quotes > [Telling the truth - telling thoughtful truths - should not be a revolutionary act. Speaking truths to power should not be sacrificial, but they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luvvie-ajayi/telling-the-truth-telling-thoughtful-truths-should-not-be-a/) [Luvvie Ajayi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luvvie-ajayi/) > [Start telling the truth now and never stop. Begin by telling the truth to yourself about yourself. Then tell the truth to yourself about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neale-donald-walsch/start-telling-the-truth-now-and-never-stop-begin-by-telling-the-truth/) [Neale Donald Walsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neale-donald-walsch/) > [Most people don't care if you're telling them the truth or if you're telling them a lie, as long as they're entertained by it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-waits/most-people-don-t-care-if-you-re-telling-them-the-truth-or-if-you-re/) [Tom Waits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-waits/) > [...truth-telling may be an ethic, adopted by photojournalists as a behavior, but experience shows us that it is not embedded in the medium like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-grundberg/truth-telling-may-be-an-ethic-adopted-by-photojournalists-as-a/) [Andy Grundberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-grundberg/) > [There is a difference between vulnerability and telling people everything about yourself. Vulnerability is a feeling. Telling everyone about yourself is just facts and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-sinek/there-is-a-difference-between-vulnerability-and-telling-people/) [Simon Sinek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-sinek/) > [I've always seen writing as a way of telling the truth. For me, writing is about truth. I have always tried to be faithful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-white/i-ve-always-seen-writing-as-a-way-of-telling-the-truth-for-me-writing/) [Edmund White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-white/) > [But, the relationships that I see work - As long as they're telling the truth, and saying the things that you don't ever want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-ruffalo/but-the-relationships-that-i-see-work-as-long-as-they-re-telling-the/) [Mark Ruffalo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-ruffalo/) > [“You don’t need creativity when you’re telling the truth,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-e-richards/you-don-t-need-creativity-when-you-re-telling-the-truth/) [Douglas E. Richards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-e-richards/) > [I feel a responsibility for telling the truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/future/i-feel-a-responsibility-for-telling-the-truth/) [Future](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/future/) > [Until I came out, my acting was all about disguise, and thereafter it became about telling the truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mckellen/until-i-came-out-my-acting-was-all-about-disguise-and-thereafter-it/) [Ian Mckellen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mckellen/) > [Some people don't like telling the truth... And some people can't handle hearing it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/some-people-don-t-like-telling-the-truth-and-some-people-can-t-handle/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I know the words that I say are bad and can hurt you but its just me telling the truth if you don't want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shar-rae/i-know-the-words-that-i-say-are-bad-and-can-hurt-you-but-its-just-me/) [Shar-rae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shar-rae/) > [“He wrote: ‘We make ourselves real by telling the truth”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-durham/he-wrote-we-make-ourselves-real-by-telling-the-truth/) [Geoffrey Durham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-durham/) > [I don't think telling the truth ever gets anyone in trouble in the long run. Maybe the day after, but not in the long…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-spurrier/i-don-t-think-telling-the-truth-ever-gets-anyone-in-trouble-in-the/) [Steve Spurrier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-spurrier/) > [“Publicly telling the truth on social media can be one of the most effective healing journeys.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/publicly-telling-the-truth-on-social-media-can-be-one-of-the-most/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) ## More by Simon Sinek > [Notoriously outspoken, his sentences always punctuated with profanities, General George S. 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