It is not the oath that makes us believe the man, but the man the oath.

A reflection on credibility and trustworthiness, suggesting that formal promises or sworn statements do not create trust on their own; rather, a person’s established character determines whether an oath is persuasive.

The idea is that integrity precedes procedure: rules, vows, and legal forms only carry weight when the speaker is already seen as honest. If someone is known to be unreliable, an oath adds little; if someone is reputable, the oath merely reinforces what is already believed.