What do you think? Nowadays, seems like some folks think breaking a promise is A-okay if circumstances, from their perspective, change.

What I learned, and what I believe, is a promise, a man’s word, is sacred. An honorable man does not break his word.

What do you think?

I don't take anybody at their word as I've been burned too many times. But, of course, I'm expected to keep my word, and for the most part, I do.

I look at it this way; for the most part, folks my age, (I'm GenX) and older, are more likely to follow through with commitments. Younger folks have no idea what commitment or honesty means and I make backup plans accordingly.

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Thread Killer.

I don't make promises or give my word lightly. I always try my best to keep it. Once in a while circumstances may prevent that. It always makes me feel bad when that happens.
However, I know all too well that others make promises they never intend to keep. Sadly, that seems to be the norm these days.

I don’t make promises. Nor do I ask for them.


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A man isn’t a man if he can’t keep his word.

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Life Is A Gift. Defend it!

You forgot to add " it depends" in your poll, but for the most part I try to keep my word to someone and do pretty good there.

I'm generation "way over the hill" (almost 63) so giving my word is rather important to me.

The pace and complexity of the modern world has made making promises a hazardous endeavor.

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Release the Kraken

We don't obligate ourselves thoughtlessly, but once done, you can bet on it.

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Slava Ukraini!

Always keep a promise to a child. They will never forget and hold that against you the rest of their life.
My uncle promised to take us to his lake camp for the summer, so my little brother,9 years old, and me, 13, waited in anticipation on our front porch with raggedy suitcases packed
When they arrived in the station wagon, it was full from top to bottom with DRIFTWOOD my aunt had collected along The Mississippi River and my uncle said there was no room for us. "But you promised!" Fell upon deaf ears.
My brother and I hated them even after we were adults.
With kids, be slow to promise, and quick to keep one.

I can't remember that last time I told someone I promise, but if I tell someone I'm going to do something or be somewhere for them...I've never let them down.

"A man is measured by what others say of him."

My dad taught me that all a man really has is his word. So...

Never make a promise lightly, but when you do, keep it.

My way of thinking.......

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Only difference Fool/Mule-ears

I found myself having to say a lot of times in business "I can't make a promises I'm not sure I can keep (or I can't keep).

This right here. ‘Cept I include adults too.

I’ve always told my kids that I won’t make promises unless I know I can keep em. It’s good practice for grownups too.

If I saw I am going to do something then I always attempt to get it done on time.

My current, and temporary, supervisor is always making appointments with me via e-mail for monthly performance appraisal meetings and vehicle audits etc. EVERY time he fails to keep them for some reason. Usually it is “I had things to do”. Once he got into a harsh discussion with the admin supervisor and decided he just couldn’t bear to be in the office any more that day so left without advising me.

It really annoys me when this happens.

I have now gotten into the habit of not bothering to reply to his online calendar ”invitations”, that way I don’t get reminders.

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View from down under

My Dad drilled into me, "You're Only As Good As Your Word. It's All You Have, Don't Lose It."

I come from a long line of "traders." If you make a man a price and he says he'll take it, then he just bought it. If someone make me an offer that I accept, then they bought it.

If I make you an offer and you accept, I pay you! I expect the same.

Too many times people make offers, I say "pay me" and I get " Oh, I just wanted to see if you'd take that for it." At this point, whomever needs to move along because I'm done with them.

Divorce is where I fall short. I've made promises that I couldn't keep and survive. Yea, I'm ashamed of myself for the failures. At the time it was truly a matter of survival!

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GOA
USA Shooting Supporter

I don't "promise" anything; I tell folks, "I'll do this or that."

I was in the local eatery one day and took something in for a guy
whom I'd told I would give that something.

He said, "I can't believe you actually brought that."

The owner said, "You don't know Bob very well, do you"?

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Wrangler of stray Chiefs
Bob

How many of the 80% are divorced?

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Sure you did

It depends.


A promise made freely should be kept.


A promise made under duress is not a promise. So keep it or don't as you see fit.

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I always take precautions

The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.

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Expect the unexpected

Don’t tie your honor to your hubris.

I think the most important option is missing from the poll, and that goes between “a promise is sacred” and “everybody lies, who cares”:

It should be something like “I try my best, but life happens”.

When I say I’ll do something for someone, I’ll make my best effort. It certainly matters if I fail, and I try to make it right. But nobody is perfect, or superhuman.

Only if you're compelled to by a higher authority. If you have a job where you are on call, e.g.

Ladder13 and Absalom make valid points. And I think the “it depends” responses must have the same intent, that one does one’s very best to keep one’s promises, but that none of us are superhuman. To be human is to be imperfect.

I should have included a choice like “I very rarely fail to keep a promise, and when I do, despite my best efforts, I am ashamed, and I do what I can to make it right.”

In my business career, I worked for a very large corporation. I soon learned to tell my customers, “I can’t guarantee you what my company will do, but I can guarantee you what I will do.” It is a principle that stood me well. It allowed me to keep my honor in some difficult times.

When I wrote the poll, late last night, I was angry. Too much watching and reading of the national news. I should have waited until morning to reflect upon what, if anything, I wished to say.

The choices in the OP's poll
are known as "push polling."

The choices don't cover the
circumstances, to whom a
promise might be made, what
events may change to dilute
a promise.

A promise is not the same as
taking an oath to a set of
well undertood principles.

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Ubi Est Mea

One rule only make promises for things you have complete and full control over.

A man is only as good as his word.


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Regards,
Bruce

To me if a Man can not keep his word - he's not a man. Yes..... there are rare exceptions when a promise is made and has to be broken because of rare and urgent circumstance - but again, that is the exception.

Someone who repeatedly breaks promises is off my A list!

A broken promise is another form of a lie and just as bad maybe worse. Of course if I try I can think of some possible exceptions. For one I would lie to a criminal to save my life or the life of someone else. But in the context of normal day to day dealings with others it's a no no. Once you lie or break a promise you have lost trust. Trust once lost is difficult to regain.

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Real men love cats!

My Dad instilled in me that a man’s word is his bond. I trust others to do the same and I give them the benefit of the doubt, but break that trust and it is forever tainted, if not broken.

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USS Brewton FF1086
SWCA#3597

So far one vote for everyone lies, who cares. We have at least 1 car salesman in the forum!

My father used to tell me: If you feel that you have to break a promise, then perhaps you should have put more thought into making that promise to begin with.

If you married her and she did the whole neighborhood therefore breaking her promise, would you keep your vows?

Once again, We all like to think we would keep our promises but things change and make it difficult if not imposable.

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Dum vivo cano

“Let your ‘yes’ be ‘yes’ and your ‘no’ ,‘no’. For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.”
Matthew 5:37

The first promise I remember making was my Cub Scout oath. I took it seriously, and still try to follow it's guidelines.

That's it for me in a nutshell.

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SWCA #3356, SWHF#611

I finished Sword of Kings by Bernard Cromwell yesterday in which Utrid the pagan goes on a long dangerous journey to keep an oath he made.
I do my best to keep promises but do not give them often or lightly.

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Front sight and squeeze

A promise made is a promise kept!

Sometimes the spouse breaks her promise which in turn leads to divorce.

Be true to your word. Like Captain Call to Gus.

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That's gonna leave a mark.

Yes. But just like Woodrow said himself.

Well, Gus; there you go. I guess this will teach me to be more careful about what I promise people in the future."

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Expect the unexpected

My first wife divorced me. But, thats on her. Not much you can do if the want to leave.

I keep my word to those that keep theirs. I make an agreement with another party and they welsh out on their part, I am free to do as I please.

My Dad taught me that a man of character keeps his word, especially when it costs him.

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Only a cold warrior

My faith and my word are mine to keep.

I promise to eat all of my broccoli and brussels sprouts.

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That's gonna leave a mark.

That's an easy promise for me to make. I like them both.

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Expect the unexpected

I keep promises, for that reason I very seldom promise anything to anyone. I'm still married to my 1st & only wife. I'm also troubled how many here don't feel the same.

I believe in keeping promises but there is always the possibility that people are fed half truths. Therefore breaking a promise would be prudent in the right circumstances.

I was taught as a child you give your word you keep it, the only exceptions are extreme instances where life and safety of someone may be reasonably in danger but those situations are rare.

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KM
S&WCA 3110 S&WHF 625

Irony.

One of the worst feelings I ever had was breaking a sacred "pinky swear" to my young daughters in order to honor a contractual business promise I had made to someone else.

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Music/Sports/Beer fan

Under promise, over deliver.

Ethics are rarely absolute... principles may be, but humans aren’t. Sometimes, doing one’s best is the best you can do.

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50 Years of DSOTM

Taught my kids that you promise only what you can certainly produce.
Threaten only what you are willing to carry out.
I have made few promises in my life and they were important ones. The first was my father to always live by my word and to do my best to be n honorable man.
The second was to my wife to never leave her. If she had ever left it was her decision not mine.
Other than my family, very very few people I have met warranted something as sacred as a promise.
Unfortunately, as evidenced by some posts here, promises no longer carry the weight they used to for a lot of people. The value of a person’s word has slipped the same way. This fact does not diminish the importance so of your word. It just diminishes the number of people worthy of offering your word to. Unfortunately the number grows smaller as I grow older.