Trust quotes are memorable statements about trust from authors, leaders, philosophers, and public figures. People look for them when they need the right words to express something difficult, want inspiration for a card or post, or just need reassurance that others understand what they’re going through.
This guide organizes trust quotes by what you’re actually dealing with and shows you how to use them.
Trust Quotes by Category
Different situations need different quotes. Here’s what people actually search for and why.
Short Trust Quotes
Short quotes fit everywhere—Instagram captions, thank-you cards, that corner of your desk where you stick reminders.
“To be trusted is a greater compliment than to be loved.”
— George MacDonald
“Trust yourself, then you will know how to live.”
— Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
“He who does not trust enough will not be trusted.”
— Lao Tzu
“Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none.”
— William Shakespeare
“Trust thyself: every heart vibrates to that iron string.”
— Ralph Waldo Emerson
“The best way to find out if you can trust somebody is to trust them.”
— Ernest Hemingway
“Earn trust, earn trust, earn trust. Then you can worry about the rest.”
— Seth Godin
“Trust is earned, not given.”
— Proverb
Trust Quotes for Relationships
These get at what happens between people—the good, the complicated, and the messy parts of letting someone in.
“It is better to suffer wrong than to do it, and happier to be sometimes cheated than not to trust.”
— Samuel Johnson
“For there to be betrayal, there would have to have been trust first.”
— Suzanne Collins
“The beginning of love is the will to let those we love be perfectly themselves, the resolution not to twist them to fit our own image.”
— Thomas Merton
“Friendship is built on two things. Respect and trust. Both elements have to be there. And it has to be mutual.”
— Stieg Larsson
“We always see our worst selves. Our most vulnerable selves. We need someone else to get close enough to tell us we’re wrong. Someone we trust.”
— David Levithan
“Few delights can equal the mere presence of one whom we trust utterly.”
— George MacDonald
“You see, you closed your eyes. That was the difference. Sometimes you cannot believe what you see, you have to believe what you feel.”
— Mitch Albom
“Have enough courage to trust love one more time and always one more time.”
— Maya Angelou
Trust and Leadership Quotes
If you’re looking for something to open a presentation or remind your team what matters, these connect trust to getting things done together.
“Trust is the glue of life. It’s the most essential ingredient in effective communication. It’s the foundational principle that holds all relationships.”
— Stephen R. Covey
“The ability to establish, grow, extend, and restore trust is the key professional and personal competency of our time.”
— Stephen M.R. Covey
“Your words and deeds must match if you expect employees to trust in your leadership.”
— Kevin Kruse
“I believe fundamental honesty is the keystone of business.”
— Harvey Firestone
“Trust starts with trustworthy leadership. It must be built into the corporate culture.”
— Barbara Brooks Kimmel
“A man who trusts nobody is apt to be the kind of man nobody trusts.”
— Harold Macmillan
“The supreme quality of leadership is unquestionably integrity.”
— Dwight D. Eisenhower
“Earn your leadership every day.”
— Michael Jordan
“It is not fair to ask of others what you are not willing to do yourself.”
— Eleanor Roosevelt
Broken Trust Quotes
Sometimes you just need someone to put words to how bad it feels when someone lets you down. These do that.
“I’m not upset that you lied to me, I’m upset that from now on I can’t believe you.”
— Friedrich Nietzsche
“It was a mistake, you said. But the cruel thing was, it felt like the mistake was mine, for trusting you.”
— David Levithan
“Trust is like a mirror, you can fix it if it’s broken, but you can still see the crack in that reflection.”
— Lady Gaga
“To be deceived by our enemies or betrayed by our friends is insupportable; yet by ourselves we are often content to be so deluded.”
— François de La Rochefoucauld
“He who throws away a friend is as bad as he who throws away his life.”
— Sophocles
“Trust, like the soul, never returns once it is gone.”
— Publilius Syrus
“Everyone suffers at least one bad betrayal in their lifetime. It’s what unites us. The trick is not to let it destroy your trust in others when that happens.”
— Sherrilyn Kenyon
“It was one thing to make a mistake; it was another thing to keep making it.”
— Jodi Picoult
Rebuilding Trust Quotes
Fixing broken trust takes forever and there’s no way around that. These quotes get it.
“The wounds of honor are self-inflicted.”
— Publilius Syrus
“The man who moves a mountain begins by carrying away small stones.”
— Confucius
“Time is the wisest counselor of all.”
— Pericles
“The trees that are slow to grow bear the best fruit.”
— Proverb
“Truth will ultimately prevail where there is pains to bring it to light.”
— George Washington
“Be slow to fall into friendship; but when thou art in, continue firm and constant.”
— Socrates
“Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet.”
— Jean-Jacques Rousseau
“We are all mistaken sometimes; sometimes we do wrong things, things that have bad consequences. But it does not mean we are evil, or that we cannot be trusted ever afterward.”
— Alison Croggon
Positive Trust Quotes
When you want something hopeful—maybe you’re starting over or trying to remind yourself it’s worth it to keep believing in people.
“Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.”
— Corrie ten Boom
“None of us knows what might happen even the next minute, yet still we go forward. Because we trust. Because we have faith.”
— Paulo Coelho
“All the world is made of faith, and trust, and pixie dust.”
— J.M. Barrie
“Trust men and they will be true to you; treat them greatly and they will show themselves great.”
— Ralph Waldo Emerson
“The only way to make a man trustworthy is to trust him.”
— Henry L. Stimson
“Trust is the highest form of human motivation. It brings out the very best in people.”
— Stephen R. Covey
“You may be deceived if you trust too much, but you will live in torment if you don’t trust enough.”
— Frank Crane
Trust Your Intuition Quotes
For when you second-guess yourself constantly and need a nudge to listen to that voice telling you what’s actually going on.
“Instinct is untaught ability.”
— Alexander Bain
“Trust your instinct to the end, though you can render no reason.”
— Ralph Waldo Emerson
“Trust in yourself. Your perceptions are often far more accurate than you are willing to believe.”
— Claudia Black
“Self-trust is the first secret of success.”
— Ralph Waldo Emerson
“As soon as you trust yourself, you will know how to live.”
— Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
“Trust your own instinct. Your mistakes might as well be your own, instead of someone else’s.”
— Billy Wilder
Loyalty and Trust Quotes
These tie together sticking around and actually meaning it. Both matter.
“The scholar does not consider gold and jade to be precious treasures, but loyalty and good faith.”
— Confucius
“An ounce of loyalty is worth a pound of cleverness.”
— Elbert Hubbard
“Loyalty is a decision, a resolution of the soul.”
— Frank Crane
“Trust no friend without faults, and love a woman, but no angel.”
— Doris Lessing
Trust Quotes for Him
If you’re writing a card for your dad, brother, boyfriend, or friend and want something that hits right.
“It is not titles that honor men, but men that honor titles.”
— Niccolò Machiavelli
“The superior man is modest in his speech, but exceeds in his actions.”
— Confucius
“Great souls are not those who have fewer passions and more virtues than common souls, but those only who have greater designs.”
— François de La Rochefoucauld
“He who opens a school door, closes a prison.”
— Victor Hugo
Trust Quotes for Her
Same idea—whether it’s your mom, sister, girlfriend, or friend who needs to hear something true.
“In women everything is heart, even the head.”
— Jean Paul Richter
“Beauty is truth, truth beauty—that is all ye know on earth, and all ye need to know.”
— John Keats
“The soul that sees beauty may sometimes walk alone.”
— Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Funny Trust Quotes
Because sometimes a little humor helps. Not everything needs to be deep.
“Better a witty fool than a foolish wit.”
— William Shakespeare
“A day without laughter is a day wasted.”
— Nicolas Chamfort
“Common sense is not so common.”
— Voltaire
“One must be a fox to recognize traps, and a lion to frighten wolves.”
— Niccolò Machiavelli
Cute Trust Quotes
Sweet, simple, no drama. Good for lighthearted moments.
“The heart has its reasons which reason does not know.”
— Blaise Pascal
“The only way to have a friend is to be one.”
— Ralph Waldo Emerson
“Happiness depends upon ourselves.”
— Aristotle
“A cheerful heart is good medicine.”
— Proverbs 17:22
“Let us be grateful to people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.”
— Marcel Proust
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How to Use Trust Quotes
Here’s where people actually put these quotes and why they work there.
In Personal Settings
Home décor: Print a quote and frame it. Hang it where you’ll see it when you need the reminder—bedroom, bathroom mirror, kitchen. It’s cheaper than therapy and lasts longer.
Journaling: Copy a quote at the top of a page and write what it brings up for you. Sometimes seeing your thoughts next to someone else’s words clarifies things.
Cards and letters: Adding a quote to a birthday card or sympathy note gives weight to what you’re trying to say. It shows you put thought into it.
Daily reminders: Stick a quote on your laptop, fridge, or dashboard. When you’re having a rough day, it’s there.
In Professional Contexts
Presentations: Open with a quote about trust or teamwork. Just make sure it connects to what you’re actually talking about, not random inspiration.
Team communications: Drop a relevant quote in a newsletter or meeting agenda. Keep it brief and tie it to a specific point you’re making.
Leadership materials: Training sessions use quotes to illustrate ideas about building credibility. Pick ones that match what you’re teaching.
Office décor: A quote in the break room or conference room sets a tone. Make sure it reflects what your team actually values, not corporate BS.
On Social Media
Format matters: Square images for Instagram. Horizontal for Twitter headers. Make sure text is big enough to read on phones.
Keep it readable: High contrast. One or two fonts max. If people have to squint, they’ll scroll past.
Add your take: A caption explaining why the quote matters to you makes it personal instead of just another generic post.
Always credit: Put the author’s name on there. It’s the right thing to do.
In Written Communications
Match what’s happening: Don’t throw a positive quote into a sympathy card. Read the room.
One is enough: Multiple quotes in one card gets cluttered. Pick the best one.
Placement counts: Start with a quote to set the mood, or end with one to leave an impression. Middle placement usually gets lost.
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Trust Quote Themes Explained
You’ll notice patterns if you read enough of these. Here’s what keeps showing up and what it means.
Trust as Foundation
Lots of quotes call trust things like glue, foundation, cornerstone. That’s because without it, everything else falls apart. When trust exists, good things can happen. When it doesn’t, even simple stuff gets complicated.
Trust and Vulnerability
Trusting someone means risking getting hurt. Most quotes about trust acknowledge this straight-up. You can’t have real connection without opening yourself up, which is scary. But the alternative—never trusting anyone—is worse.
Trust and Time
This comes up constantly: trust takes forever to build and seconds to destroy. Rebuilding takes even longer than building it the first time. There’s no shortcut. Anyone who says otherwise is selling something.
Trust and Action
Talk is cheap. This theme shows up everywhere—what you do matters more than what you say. If your actions don’t match your words, people stop believing you. Simple as that.
Finding the Right Trust Quote
Here’s how to pick one that actually fits what you’re going through.
By Situation
Starting a relationship: Go for hopeful, optimistic stuff. You’re building something new.
Strengthening what you have: Loyalty and commitment quotes work here. You’re celebrating the bond that already exists.
After someone betrayed you: Broken trust quotes. You need validation, not toxic positivity.
Trying to fix things: Rebuilding quotes that acknowledge how hard and slow this process is.
Work stuff: Leadership quotes that connect trust to getting results.
Working on yourself: Intuition quotes about trusting your own judgment.
By Length
Short (under 15 words): Social media. Signs. Anywhere space is tight.
Medium (15-40 words): Cards. Slides. Posters. The sweet spot for most uses.
Long (40+ words): Essays. Deep reflection. When you have room to let something breathe.
By Tone
Serious: When you’re dealing with something heavy or teaching a concept.
Inspirational: When someone needs encouragement.
Funny: When you want to lighten things up or make a point without being preachy.
Sweet: Casual moments. Personal gifts. When warmth matters more than depth.
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Creating Designs with Trust Quotes
If you’re making something visual, these basics help.
Visual Formats
Posters and prints: One quote, clean design, maybe an image that supports the message without overwhelming it.
Social media graphics: Design for the platform you’re using. Each one has different dimensions.
Cards and invitations: The quote should complement your message, not be the whole thing.
Banners and headers: Quotes work as website headers or email banners if they’re short and readable.
Design Considerations
Fonts: Readable beats fancy every time. Script fonts look nice but they’re hard to read at small sizes or from a distance.
Placement: Give the quote room to breathe. Cramming too much in one space makes everything harder to read.
Images: Background images should support the quote, not compete with it. Simple backgrounds usually work better.
Colors: Make sure there’s enough contrast between text and background. Blue feels trustworthy and calm. Warmer colors feel energetic.
Attribution: Author’s name goes below or beside the quote in smaller text. Keep the formatting consistent.
Conclusion
Trust quotes give you words when you need them—whether you’re starting something new, dealing with betrayal, or just trying to remind yourself what matters. The categories here cover what people actually search for and use in real life.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I choose the right trust quote?
Match the quote to what’s actually happening. If someone’s dealing with betrayal, they need validation, not cheerful positivity. If you’re motivating a team, pick something about integrity and results. Think about who’s reading it and what they’re going through.
Should I always attribute quotes?
For anything public—presentations, publications, social media—yes. Always credit the author. For private stuff like your journal or bedroom wall, it matters less, but it’s still good practice.
Can I use trust quotes in commercial projects?
Copyright applies to some quotes, especially recent ones. Historical quotes are usually fine. If you’re making money off something that includes a quote, check whether you need permission. This isn’t legal advice—just common sense.
What makes a trust quote effective?
It says something specific in a way you remember. The best quotes feel both personal and universal—like they’re talking directly to you but also to everyone. Shorter usually sticks better than longer.
How many trust quotes should I use at once?
Usually just one. More than that and they start competing for attention. Quote collections like this article are different, but in a card or post, pick your best shot.