When, if ever, is it right to break a promise, and why?

Answer 1

It isn't right to break a promise. The problem is that too many people make promises too loosely or hastily without foreseeing the consequences. So if you realize that you have made a mistake which will inevitably do harm to yourself & someone else then it's better to break the promise than to cause pain. It's better to choose the lesser of two evils. The most important thing is not to hurt people.

Too many people rush into marriages. They make a promise to stay together forever, but a lot of people don't even know who they are when they get married, they don't know what they want or where they're going. Then they find that they're unhappy & in the wrong relationship. I certainly wouldn't suggest staying in a bad marriage that has no hope just because you made a promise. You'll both end up suffering unnecessarily. Sometimes it's better to admit you made a mistake & then move on with your lives apart. Then again, you did make a commitment so you should at least give it the effort it deserves (getting counselling, working on it) if you think there's any hope of saving it.

Personally, I could not enter into a marriage unless I was 100% sure he was the one because I take the vow seriously. Forever means forever. If I had any doubts, I wouldn't do it. I guess that's why I'm still single! :)

Cheers.
:)

Answer 2

Its right to break some promises. Like if your older or younger sister ran away and they made you promise not to tell your parent. You should tell them. If life was that horrible with the parents, they'd take you with them so you dont have to suffer also. its ok to break promises if teh breaking of a promise would save more people than hurt. Unless you're protecting someone important to you. I know a few people i would let other die for to live... its easier to deal with death if you dont know the people. Bleh, there are loopholes in teh promising thing, but you dont want to make breaking promises a habit. then no one will trust your word.

Answer 3

I personally believe it is never right to break a promise, no matter the situation - even through actions of a death. A promise is something you give to another person with your whole sincerity and heart, and it can't be taken back or broken because the idea of a promise is that you will not retract it later.

Answer 4

When the harm caused by sticking by the promise is greater than the harm caused by breaking the promise.

One circumstance where it would be right to break a promise would be if a child asked you to promise not to break a secret. You are expecting something like they took a biscuit without asking, or told a fib so you agree. They tell you that someone has been abusing them. Yes, it isn't nice to break the promise, but it is better than allowing the abuse to continue.

Answer 5

If keeping the promise will lead to injury to yourself, the person you made the promise to, or anyone else you must break the promise.

Answer 6

Kant was very strict about promise-keeping in his philosophy but even he did make some exceptions.

Say you made a promise to meet someone for lunch and as you are going to the restaurant you see someone in some sort of peril and it is in your power to help them. The duty to keep your promise to your friend must now give up its place as paramount to helping this person. At this point, keeping the promise to your friend and leaving this other person to their fate would be wrong.

Answer 7

When you have inadvertantly made two promises which are mutually exclusive... and therefore holding to one promise will void the other. At such times it is important to judge which promise is the most important and do your best to make amends for that which is broken.

Better still, get the lesser promise retracted... that it need not be broken at all.


To break a promise for reasons other than paradox however is personally unforgivable. That is why I don't make promises easily... as when I do make them, I will see them through to the letter... irrespective of who has to suffer as a result (even myself sometimes). To do otherwise would be a breach of my honour and I would need to commit seppuku to atone.

(No, I don't follow bushido... but that is one aspect I have adopted from it.)

Answer 8

When the conclusion of that promise would hurt either parties.
I have left the answer particularly open as this might set you thinking of occasions when this could happen
Both on a personal and global sense . Sometimes it is expedient to make a promise if the other person is sure not to cop operate a recalcitrant unreasonable child for instance .
Distracted by another pressing issue ( they are all pressing to the toddler , at the moment of payback they are thinking of something else !

Answer 9

if u can, just keep it...

promise is not for others, actually, it is for urself, it is just like a mirror of ur soul, u will never forget it, so don't break it no matter how hard it is...u know, that's why more and more ppl never make promises...

Answer 10

a promise given to fast can lead to desaster so if your promise is going to do this then you must rethank you stand