Promises to Make
I have never liked the idea of making promises. Being a firm believer in free will (and hence an unpredictable future), my rational side is always saying, “A promise is about future actions; how can anyone know for sure what they might or might not do in the future?” And yet so many people make promises. And so many recipients feel good hearing those promises made. Why, I wondered? As with so many other things, I learnt the answer from Hollywood! In the movie, The Amazing Spider Man , Spidey walks into the classroom late (as usual). When his teacher comments on that, he promises her that it’s the last time he will be late. Upon which she says, “Don't make promises that you can't keep.” To which our hero replies, “But those are the best ones.” And that was the answer to my question: a promise is all about what the listener wants to hear . Before you get all moralistic about it, it’s (usually) a white lie. It’s made to make the receiver feel good. Now th...