📘 Part 3: Promises

This episode's vocabulary

Swear off (phrasal verb) – to promise to stop doing something. → Lots of people swear off cigarettes after health problems.

Reminder (noun) – something that helps you remember. → I set a phone alert as a reminder to call my grandma.

Constituent (noun) – a person who votes in an election. → Politicians often make promises to win over their constituents.

Deliver on (phrasal verb) – to do what you promised or were expected to do. → She delivered on her promise to finish the project on time.

Magnitude (noun) – the great size or importance of something. → He didn’t realize the magnitude of the task he had taken on.

Unplanned (adjective) – not arranged or expected in advance. → The trip was completely unplanned but turned out amazing.

Cognitive capacity (noun) – the ability to think and understand. → Young children might not have the cognitive capacity to understand promises.

Oath-breaking (noun) – the act of not keeping a solemn or serious promise. → In some cultures, oath-breaking is seen as a serious offense.

Dire (adjective) – extremely serious or urgent. → Ignoring the warning signs could lead to dire consequences.

Endeavour (verb) – to try hard to do something. → She endeavoured to be honest with her children.

Pledge (noun) – a serious or formal promise. → The mayor made a pledge to improve public transport.

Gravity (noun) – seriousness or importance. → He didn’t understand the gravity of the situation.

Ignorant (adjective) – lacking knowledge or awareness. → They were ignorant of the risks involved in the process.

Effort (noun) – physical or mental energy used to do something. → It takes real effort to keep every promise you make.

Trust (noun) – belief that someone is reliable and honest. → Once trust is broken, it’s hard to rebuild.

Frequency (noun) – how often something happens. → The frequency of broken promises seems to be rising.

Behaviour (noun) – the way someone acts. → Good behaviour is often rewarded by parents.

Sacred (adjective) – regarded with deep respect or religious importance. → For some, a promise is a sacred bond.

Distrust (noun) – lack of trust. → There is growing distrust in political leaders.

Guaranteed (adjective) – promised with certainty. → There’s no guaranteed outcome in life, no matter how hard you try.

Questions and Answers

Maria: What kinds of promises do people often make?

Rory: All kinds, though generally it's to the people close to them about not doing something bad again or to do something good in the future. Lots of people swear off cigarettes, for example, which is also a promise you make to yourself, I suppose.

Maria: Is it useful to write down promises?

Rory: I can't see the harm in it, though people tend to remember when they have made one or when one has been made to them, so it's unlikely that you'll forget about it. Still, it could be handy to have a reminder every now and then to do what you said you would.

Maria: Do people often keep their promises?

Rory: I don't know how you would begin to measure that, though it certainly feels like it happens less often. Take politicians, for example. They promise the world to their constituents and frequently fail to deliver on their promises. I know historically this has also happened, but it also seems more frequent and personal nowadays.

Maria: Why do some people fail to keep their promises?

Rory: The most obvious reason seems to be that they are likely just lying or ignorant of the magnitude of effort required to deliver as intended. Like with the example of politicians. But there are also just random, unplanned acts that can get in the way, like a sudden accident that can prevent you from doing what was guaranteed.

Maria: Do children keep their promises?

Rory: That depends on how you define children. Very young ones might not realise the gravity of what a promise means for many people, just because they lack the cognitive capacity and the experience. Older kids might be more successful, though, since they're familiar with the consequences of oath-breaking, particularly if it's a sacred or religious thing, which can have some dire consequences to reinforce that idea as well.

Maria: Do parents in your country make promises to their children?

Rory: It's certainly been known to happen, especially in exchange for good or desirable behaviour. Even in modern times, when social distrust or mistrust is at such high levels, people still endeavour to keep various pledges. Although maybe with varying levels of success, given how unpredictable the world is these days.

Maria: Hey, thank you Rory for your band nine answers.

Rory: No worries.