Promises that you make to yourself are often like the Japanese plum tree—they bear no fruit.

About Francis Marion

Brigadier General Francis Marion (c. 1732 – February 27, 1795), also known as the "Swamp Fox", was an American military officer, planter, and politician who served during the French and Indian War and the Revolutionary War. During the American Revolution, Marion supported the Patriot cause and enlisted in the Continental...

More quotations tagged with “promises”

Hypocrisy can afford to be magnificent in its promises; for never intending to go beyond promises; it costs nothing.

—Edmund Burke

promises

No wonder Americans hate politics when, year in and year out, they hear politicians make promises that won't come true because they don't even mean them—campaign fantasies that win elections but don't get nations moving again.

—Bill Clinton

promises

The best way to keep one's word is not to give it.

—Napoleon Bonaparte

silence promises

She had made a promise to herself that she intended on keeping. She was never going to go out with another writer: no matter how charming, sensitive, inventive, or fun they could be. They weren't worth it in the long run. They were emotionally too expensive, and the upkeep was complicated. They were like having a vacuum cleaner around the house that broke all the time and only Einstein could fix it. She wanted her next lover to be a broom.

—Richard Brautigan

love emotion promises writers

A promise made is a debt unpaid.

—Robert W. Service

debt promises

History

11 Jul 2015 Added
26 Oct 2026 Wording changed

Previous wording

Promises that you make to yourself are often like the Japanese plum tree - they bear no fruit.