All broken relationships can be traced back to broken…
Page 229. All broken relationships can be traced back to broken agreements.
— from Friends, Community & Society (Relationships/Community/Society)
In the book
A few laws govern that account. The first: nearly every broken relationship can be traced back to a broken agreement — so guard your word. The second is equity — relationships endure when both people feel they are receiving roughly in proportion to what they give; lopsided ledgers eventually collapse. […] So here is how to fly well among the billion others. Tend the emotional bank account. Make deposits — understand the person, keep your commitments, attend to the little things, and apologize quickly when you make a withdrawal; and remember that broken relationships almost always begin with a broken agreement. Choose your circle. Run, do not walk, from toxic people; stop trying to win over the unsupportive; and for the people who matter, ask whether you like, trust, and respect them. — Friends, Community & Society (Relationships/Community/Society)