Distrust
Distrust (or mistrust) is a formal way of not trusting any one party too much in a situation of grave risk or deep doubt. It is commonly expressed in civics as a division or balance of powers, or in politics as means of validating treaty terms. Systems based on distrust simply divide the responsibility so that checks and balances can operate. The phrase "Trust, but verify" refers specifically to distrust.
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Famous quotes containing the word distrust:
“Set the foot down with distrust on the crust of the world—it is thin.”
—Edna St. Vincent Millay (1892–1950)
“We have to distrust each other. It is our only defence against betrayal.”
—Tennessee Williams (1914–1983)
“I stand for the heart. To the dogs with the head! I had rather be a fool with a heart, than Jupiter Olympus with his head. The reason the mass of men fear God, and at bottom dislike Him, is because they rather distrust His heart, and fancy Him all brain like a watch.”
—Herman Melville (1819–1891)