“The promise given was a necessity of the past the word broken is a necessity of the present”
— Niccolo Machiavelli
Simplified Meaning:
Imagine you promised your friend you would help them move to a new house. When you made this promise, you had nothing else on your schedule, so it was easy to say yes. Now, the moving day arrives, but suddenly you have a family emergency and can't make it. In this situation, breaking your promise is needed because of your current urgent situation. This idea shows that sometimes we make promises when life seems simple and clear, but things can change unexpectedly. When this happens, breaking a promise might be unavoidable due to new circumstances. Life is unpredictable, and we need to adapt to new priorities. Understanding this helps people recognize that while promises are important, sometimes breaking them is necessary due to unforeseen events. This teaches us to be flexible and understanding when plans change for reasons beyond our control.
