Quote
"A certain amount of distrust is wholesome, but not so much of others as of ourselves; neither vanity nor conceit can exist in the same atmosphere with it."
"When desperate ills demand a speedy cure, Distrust is cowardice, and prudence folly."

Distrust 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.
"A certain amount of distrust is wholesome, but not so much of others as of ourselves; neither vanity nor conceit can exist in the same atmosphere with it."
"Distrust is an acquired feeling — we never doubt till we have been deceived ..."
"Usurpator diffida Di tutti sempre."
"Three things a wise man will not trust, The wind, the sunshine of an April day, And womans plighted faith."