Clothes Quotes
I don’t trust people who don’t love themselves and tell me, I love you. There is an African saying which is: Be careful when a naked person offers you a shirt.
"I don’t trust people who don’t love themselves and tell me, I love you. There is an African saying which is: Be careful when a naked person offers you a shirt."— Maya Angelou
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Meaning of this quote
Angelou uses a proverb to question whether someone can reliably offer what they do not cultivate in themselves. The metaphor invites caution without proving that anyone struggling with self-esteem cannot love.
Key takeaway:
Consider whether declarations of care are supported by conduct.
Origin of the quote
Angelou speaking in a Radio National interview, reproduced with audio by ABC News in May 2014.
Who actually said this?
VerifiedThe broadcaster provides first-hand recorded speech. Angelou explicitly introduces the closing image as a proverb, so she should not be credited as inventing that saying.
