What is a promise? It is your word that you will do what you have been asked or what you have stated. Your word is your bond. If you do not keep your word then people lose faith and trust in you and it demonstrates your lack of honesty.
A promise is a critical thing to keep. Look how false promises have affected people. You could look at the Native American nations and see how our government's false promises to them have adversely affected them and the impact it has had on those not of the nations. Or look at how a child feels betrayed when you promise them something and don't deliver. Look at how a child will take advantage of you if you promise a punishment and don't deliver it when they continue to disobey. Someone who breaks promises is someone who will soon have no friends. Look at how politician after politician breaks their promises and the result is that the American people have little faith in our government and only a minority (mostly the elderly) vote.
Allow me to give a personal example: I once had a roommate who promised to pay her share of the rent and bills. For the first 1.5 months she did. I helped her get her own phone line which, unfortunately, was initially in my name. Then, she quit her job, found a boyfriend, and had no money. The boyfriend moved in (after two weeks they asked and I granted him permission to live with us) and she got a job. He was also working. Rent and bills were due and they had no money to pay me because they had to pay for repairs to both his cars and "other" expenses but promised they'd have it by a certain date. Her boyfriend,when I asked, said he would be willing to pay 1/3 of the bills. I did not ask him for 1/3 - I asked him what he was willing to contribute and that is what he offered. I was told they had a joint bank account and everything would be ok. He then had to leave his job because of work-related injury to his shoulder so neither of them had an income.
Because they were late paying me (and I had to cover the rent and bills and had budgeted my money expecting them to pay on time) I overdrafted my account. On the agreed date she handed me a check, but the check was not for the entire amount and she tried to argue that they didn't have to pay 2/3's of the bills. I stated that is what he had offered and I was holding him to it as an honorable man. She finally gave up. I deposited the check she gave me and she assured she would give me cash on each succeeding week until she was caught up. The next week she gave me half of what she had promised and the week after I got nothing. At that point it looked like she was paid up but he still owed me for rent and overdrafts. I let them know and she was surprised that the check hadn't bounced. In fact she claimed to have left me a note saying not to deposit it, that it was bad. Yet, when I checked my bank it showed as being deposited. The end of the month again came around and I asked for the rent and bill money. Again they claimed they didn't have the money but would pay me back by a certain date. I again covered the rent and bills.
I was getting bills, in my name, for her phone line. She promised to have the bill switched to her name and get the bill paid. I gave her the bill and trusted it was being taken care of. Finally, after another bill or two, I called the phone company and they said she hadn't tried to contact them or make any payments. She denied this. It took some pressuring but eventually we switched it to her name. She never paid the portion of the bill that was still in my name, the phone company refused to switch it over to her, and I ended up paying them over $250 for her local, long distance and collect calls.
The agreed upon date came and went and they had no money. She tried to manipulate me with mind games to make me think I was the bad guy and I was being unfair with her. She claimed I was never really her friend - that if I was I wouldn't treat her the way I was. I received a notice from my bank that the first check had bounced and had gotten more overdrafts so I told them about it. A new date was set and it also passed. Finally, I was given another check which didn't cover all that was owed me but was enough so that I could cover the rent and bills. He promised to give me his final paycheck, and did, although it was a small amount but still appreciated. She again gave me a date for payment and did not. I wrote up contracts for repayment and payment in the future and they refused to sign. I checked into legal options and found I had none except small claims. The date came and went, yet again. Finally, they said they would move out and the papers were signed. New assurances were given as to when I might be paid. They moved out, gave me no forwarding address or phone numberr, and I never heard from her again. He visited me once but didn't give me any money. Their debt to me? $1100. Will I ever see it? I don't know, but I doubt it.
I could take them to small claims court if I could find them. I doubt it would work - they'd probably just disappear if I managed to find them.
Not too long ago she borrowed some money from a couple she's known for several years. I went to visit them and upon hearing this I warned them about what had happened to me. A couple of months later while visiting them they told me she had moved out of town and not paid them, either. I still get mail for her. Some of it is in her mother's name because she used her mom's name to get things she couldn't get using her own name because of her bad credit. Now she has ruined her mother's credit, too, and creditors are looking for them both.
This is a tragic example of the power of broken promises. At the beginning we were best friends - now we don't even talk. Is it worth it to break your promises?