Promise

The promise refers to two fundamentally different types of speech acts,

Promises to be a promise or declaration of intent

The promise is a unilateral commitment about a future action or a future event. It takes place between two or more persons, which (at least ) makes a promise, which is addressed to the other or others. Are promises, because they are directed to future actions, never completely safe. They are also bound to the relationship of trust and the situation. Although a promise often looks like a one-sided advantage, promise often offer mutual benefits. In many cultures, the breaking of a promise is considered dishonorable. You can not promise something without being able to hold it, in the belief that he could keep it.

• A particularly formal and strict type of promise is the vow and the vow, often associated with certain rites of passage and relate to intangible things.
• Even more stringent is the oath, unless it is aligned to future actions, for example, the oath of allegiance.

Scout Promise

In the Scout Movement every individual is committed to the Scout Promise to the ideals of Scouting.

Religious promise

In the Catholic Church distinguishes between a vow and a promise. The promise is less binding. This mainly plays a role in binding to a religious community.