A promise creates expectations in other people's lives.
That is why breaking a promise is not only a private matter.
Werner Erhard distinguishes keeping one's word from honoring one's word, with honoring including communication when the word will not be kept and addressing the consequences left behind.
The distinction matters because perfect promise-keeping is not available.
Circumstances change.
People forget.
Capacity disappears.
Priorities are renegotiated.
Sometimes we simply fail.
The failure should not become permission for silence.
If another person organized action around our word, they need information.
What changed?
What will not happen?
What can still be done?
What consequence did the broken promise create, and what part of that consequence is ours to repair?
Communication does not erase the breach.
It prevents the breach from expanding through avoidable uncertainty.
A promise includes more than the hoped-for completion.
It also includes how we respond when completion does not occur.

A Werner Erhard-attributed integrity distinction: honoring a promise includes communication and cleanup when the original promise cannot or will not be kept.

A promise creates expectations in other people's lives.

That is why breaking a promise is not only a private matter.

Werner Erhard distinguishes keeping one's word from honoring one's word, with honoring including communication when the word will not be kept and addressing the consequences left behind.

The distinction matters because perfect promise-keeping is not available.

The failure should not become permission for silence.

If another person organized action around our word, they need information.

What consequence did the broken promise create, and what part of that consequence is ours to repair?

It prevents the breach from expanding through avoidable uncertainty.

A promise includes more than the hoped-for completion.

It also includes how we respond when completion does not occur.

A Broken Promise Creates a Communication Obligation