---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Trust few men; above all, keep your…"
description: "\"Trust few men; above all, keep your follies to yourself.\" — Walter Raleigh"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b25/walter-raleigh-4068_follies_trust-few-men-above-all-keep-your-follie_2260985.png"
---

#  Trust few men; above all, keep your follies to yourself.

![“Trust few men; above all, keep your follies to yourself.” quote by Walter Raleigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b25/walter-raleigh-4068_follies_trust-few-men-above-all-keep-your-follie_2260985.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b25/walter-raleigh-4068_follies_trust-few-men-above-all-keep-your-follie_2260985.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b25/walter-raleigh-4068_follies_trust-few-men-above-all-keep-your-follie_2260985.png)

> “Trust few men; above all, keep your follies to yourself.”

[Walter Raleigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-raleigh/)

## About This Quote

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

One should be cautious about trusting others and keep personal mistakes private to avoid vulnerability.

**In simple terms:** Trust few, keep secrets.

Key Takeaway

Guard personal information.

Themes

trust privacy vulnerability

Mood

cautious pragmatic

Type

advisory philosophical

When to use this quote

- new relationships
- political negotiations
- online interactions
- conflict resolution

Key Concepts

secrecy self‑preservation skepticism

Questions to Reflect On

- When is it safe to share?
- What are the costs of secrecy?

A Different Perspective

Over‑cautiousness may hinder genuine connections.

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[Follies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/follies/) [Folly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/folly/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Self trust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-trust/) [Trust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trust/)

## Related quotes

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[Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/)

> [Of all the follies the greatest is to love the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/of-all-the-follies-the-greatest-is-to-love-the-world/)

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> [“The more my trust rests in God, the less I trust myself. If we truly desire to live the crucified life, we must get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-w-tozer/the-more-my-trust-rests-in-god-the-less-i-trust-myself-if-we-truly/)

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> [Self-trust is so important. When you launch on a story, make your neck loose, feel free, good-natured. And be lazy. Feel that you are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brenda-ueland/self-trust-is-so-important-when-you-launch-on-a-story-make-your-neck/)

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Rohit Boppani

> [“When in doubt, reinforce your self-trust.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-nadel/when-in-doubt-reinforce-your-self-trust/)

[Laurie Nadel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-nadel/)

> [I don't trust men everybody likes. Being nice isn't the same as being good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-rees-brennan/i-don-t-trust-men-everybody-likes-being-nice-isn-t-the-same-as-being/)

[Sarah Rees Brennan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-rees-brennan/)

> [“What should I tell him? That I’ve just come out of a four year relationship with a bloke who persistently cheated on me? That…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-ellen-malpas/what-should-i-tell-him-that-i-ve-just-come-out-of-a-four-year/)

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> [“I didn't trust men. I wanted to trust them because I knew there must be some good men in the world, but the ones…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theresa-weir/i-didn-t-trust-men-i-wanted-to-trust-them-because-i-knew-there-must/)

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> [“Men are appalling.. We never really grow up, well not on the inside. It's all just an act. Don't ever trust men, we're dreadful.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-alderson/men-are-appalling-we-never-really-grow-up-well-not-on-the-inside-it-s/)

Maggie Alderson

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## More by Walter Raleigh

> [ \[It is a basic principle of a tyrant\] to unarm his people of weapons, money and all means whereby they resist his power. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-raleigh/it-is-a-basic-principle-of-a-tyrant-to-unarm-his-people-of-weapons/)

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> [But it is hard to know them from friends, they are so obsequious and full of protestations; for a wolf resembles a dog, so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-raleigh/but-it-is-hard-to-know-them-from-friends-they-are-so-obsequious-and/)

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> [Flatterers are the worst kind of traitors, for they will strengthen thy imperfections, encourage thee in all evils, correct thee in nothing, but so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-raleigh/flatterers-are-the-worst-kind-of-traitors-for-they-will-strengthen/)

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> [Expressive glances Shall be our lances And pops of Sillery Our light artillery.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-raleigh/expressive-glances-shall-be-our-lances-and-pops-of-sillery-our-light/)

[Walter Raleigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-raleigh/)

> [The world is itself but a larger prison, out of which some are daily selected for execution.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-raleigh/the-world-is-itself-but-a-larger-prison-out-of-which-some-are-daily/)

[Walter Raleigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-raleigh/)

> [Whosoever, in writing a modern history, shall follow truth too near the heels, it may happily strike out his teeth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-raleigh/whosoever-in-writing-a-modern-history-shall-follow-truth-too-near-the/)

[Walter Raleigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-raleigh/)

> [Fain would I, but I dare not; I dare, and yet I may not; I may, although I care not, for pleasure when I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-raleigh/fain-would-i-but-i-dare-not-i-dare-and-yet-i-may-not-i-may-although-i/)

[Walter Raleigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-raleigh/)

> [And when I'm introduced to one I wish I thought What Jolly Fun!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-raleigh/and-when-i-m-introduced-to-one-i-wish-i-thought-what-jolly-fun/)

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> [Hath triumphed over time, which besides it nothing but eternity hath triumphed over.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-raleigh/hath-triumphed-over-time-which-besides-it-nothing-but-eternity-hath/)

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[Explore all 116 Walter Raleigh quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-raleigh/)

## More Follies quotes

> [Of all the follies the greatest is to love the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/of-all-the-follies-the-greatest-is-to-love-the-world/)

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

> [If we will have the kindness of others, we must endure their follies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/if-we-will-have-the-kindness-of-others-we-must-endure-their-follies/)

[Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/)

> [It is in our faults and failings, not in our virtues, that we touch each other, and find sympathy. It is in our follies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-k-jerome/it-is-in-our-faults-and-failings-not-in-our-virtues-that-we-touch/)

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> [We should begin to remind people they are always after your money and if you are on something around average earnings you really don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-redwood/we-should-begin-to-remind-people-they-are-always-after-your-money-and/)

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> [“Beauty lies in the LIES of the beholder!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashok-kallarakkal/beauty-lies-in-the-lies-of-the-beholder/)

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[Irène Némirovsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ir-ne-n-mirovsky/)

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> [Though you may be last to discover your follies, be always first to correct them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norm-macdonald/though-you-may-be-last-to-discover-your-follies-be-always-first-to/)

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> [“what with the follies and an indecent proposal it's been quite a night”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbra-streisand/what-with-the-follies-and-an-indecent-proposal-it-s-been-quite-a-night/)

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[Molière](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moliere/)

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> [I think comedy and satire are a very important part of democracy, and it's important we are able to laugh at the idiosyncrasies or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rory-bremner/i-think-comedy-and-satire-are-a-very-important-part-of-democracy-and/)

[Rory Bremner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rory-bremner/)

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