There's nothing that irritates me more than a broken promise. I may get softlinks directing me to Earn Your Bullshit for this, but I think it says something legit. When someone says they are going to do something, they've spoken a promise to follow through on that action. It's understandable that sometimes things happen, legitimate excuses for not doing something that had been promised. However, when it becomes a petty cycle, riddled with lame and recurring excuses- things that could have been helped, when the person becomes lazy or slack, when they've specifically and continually acknowledged a very important event and promised to follow through on it, but don't, it becomes quite irritating.

Whenever I say I'm going to do something, I'll go to every end to do so, whether it be go without sleep, go without food, miss out on something I wanted to do, inconvienence myself, or break a limb. Break a limb?! you say. Why, yes. This doesn't just apply to doing things that benefit other people. Back when I used to ride and show horses regularly, my trainer would ask me if I wanted to try something new (whether it be a course of 4' fences, or jumping bareback on a longe). If I accepted her challenge, I WOULD ride it, even if it meant messing up, falling off, whatever. For me, it was a learning experience, a promise to myself.

Breaking promises to yourself or others is a sad, disappointing, and frustrating thing. It happens every once and again, and people will overlook it. But even worse than disappointing someone, breaking promises breaks others' faith in you. When someone continually promises to do things, then bails at the last minute by some lame excuse or fault of their own that could have been prevented, it becomes an irritating and esteem-breaking cycle. People no longer trust that person with important, or even unimportant tasks/secrets/whatever the case may be. Learn from mistakes, when you promise a friend (for example) that you'll study with them for a class you have together, and then realize at the last minute that you have a paper to write for another class, sure- tell them that you can't do it. It's the lesser of two evils for you. BUT, learn from this to plan ahead and check your schedule before you inconvienence someone again. My example isn't a huge one, but some things are dire- promises that people depend on. You wouldn't want to leave a friend/family member empty-handed.

The moral of this story: Don't make promises you can't keep, think about things before you give your word to do something, and always follow through to the best of your ability.

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