A word as good as a bond

These words stand in contrast to the common vernacular saying that ridicules the man who never cares to keep his word: write his words on water. There is no beating this rule: we must keep up our word no matter what. Even to our own hurt. But that doesn’t mean we are under a yoke to the man who has altered his terms. Sometimes we pledge our allegiance, our word in good faith but if it comes to light that our goodness is being exploited to wrong ends we can put a full-stop. Few of us pledged ourselves to be exploited. But this is the exception. As with the fire alarm which is more often forgotten at a time of need. Be innocent, but shrewd.