You don’t want to make any promises that you can’t keep. If you break them, then your friends, family members, and boyfriend aren’t going to trust you as much as they should. You don’t want those broken promises to lead to broken relationships, do you? That’s why there are certain promises you should never make unless you can keep them.
- I’ll never leave you. If you promise to stay with someone forever, and then break up with them later on in life, the lie can hurt them more than the actual breakup does. Besides, if you promise your partner that you’ll stay with them forever, it gives them permission to treat you badly. They’ll know that they can cheat on you or treat you worse than you deserve and you’ll never leave.
- I won’t tell anyone. If your friend tells you that she likes your brother, don’t lie and say that you won’t tell anyone when you know you’re going to blab. Your friend will be mad enough about you spilling the beans about her secret. It’ll be even worse if she knows you lied to her face about keeping it quiet when you knew you wouldn’t.
- I’ll be there. Yes, plans fall through. However, you shouldn’t make a promise that you’ll attend your sister’s graduation or your boyfriend’s birthday party if you know that work might get in the way. Be honest with them from the start so that they don’t end up disappointed. You can’t just say whatever will make them happy when you know it’s a lie.
- I won’t talk to him. If your boyfriend is uncomfortable with you talking to your ex, it’s better for you to explain why you want to keep in touch with him than to flat out lie about cutting him out of your life. Even though you think that breaking your promise isn’t a big deal, your partner might think that it’s a big enough deal to break up with you over it.
- I won’t drink. If you tell your friends you won’t drink, so that you can be the designated driver for the night, you can’t break that promise. If you do, how are you all going to get home safely? If you decide to drive anyway, then you’re putting your friends in danger. Even if you call a cab, your friends will know that you’re unreliable and won’t count on you in the future.
- I won’t laugh. If someone wants to tell you a secret, but is worried about what you’ll think of them, don’t poke fun at them, especially if you promised that you wouldn’t judge them. After all, you should be flattered that they trusted you enough to confide in you. That thought should be enough to help you hold back your laughter. If you don’t think you can do it, then ask them to text you the info instead.
- I won’t get mad. If your boyfriend is afraid to tell you something, there are other ways to convince him to spill the beans without giving him a fake promise about how you won’t get mad. After all, you don’t know what he’s done, so how can you promise him you won’t start yelling? If you end up in a fight later, your boyfriend will try to spin the situation around by blaming you for lying to him.
- I’ll pull out. This promise is only made by men, but us women hear it a lot. If a guy promises you that he’ll pull out, then he better mean it. Of course, there’s never any guarantee that you won’t get pregnant if you use this method, and most men aren’t able to control themselves enough to follow through on this promise, anyway.
- I’m going to quit. Most bad habits are hard to quit, so you need to be careful when you make promises about quitting smoking or chewing your nails. Even if you fully intend on stopping your bad habit, you shouldn’t make any promises about it if you’re not sure you can keep them.
- I’ll never hurt you. This is a promise that most couples make to each other. However, it’s an impossible one to keep. Even if you don’t cheat on your partner or break up with them, you’re bound to say something hurtful to them about their cooking or their car. If you’re around them enough, then something mean will slip out eventually.
