proverb · Legacy record
If you suspect a man, don’t employ him; and if you employ him, don’t suspect him.
If you suspect a man, don’t employ him; and if you employ him, don’t suspect him.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
Distrust before employment and suspicion afterward are contrasted to favour a considered decision followed by trust. The saying questions hiring someone while continually treating them as suspect.
What the words are saying
A responsible interpretation does not make trust unconditional or prohibit accountability. Fair expectations and evidence can guide a working relationship, while consequential concerns still deserve attention. Neither unsupported suspicion nor blind confidence is a complete approach.
Everyday example
A manager agrees on clear responsibilities and evaluates actual work rather than repeatedly implying dishonesty.
When to use it
Use this as an editorial reading of the source image, with its stated limits retained.
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What it does not mean
Trust does not remove oversight or require ignoring substantiated concerns.
Agent-assisted editorial interpretation. This explains the words; it does not by itself verify their author or earliest origin.
Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- Traditional
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
China
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin.- Historical period
- Historical period not yet established
No sufficiently supported historical placement has been established. Import and download dates are not treated as composition dates. - Recorded source
- Contributor-provided wisdom reference (2014 AD)
Supplied reference B; unit 309; PDF page 33; collection label: China
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.
- Culture
- China