Learn · TED

Talk5 min

When should you break a promise?

Michael Vazquez and Sarah Stroud · TED

Watch At TED

About

For decades, Yvonne and Zaina have been happily married and co-leading a non-profit. One day the couple is involved in a car accident, and on her deathbed, Yvonne asks Zaina to promise her two things. First, to continue financially supporting their non-profit. And second, to never remarry. Should Zaina be beholden to these promises? Sarah Stroud and Michael Vazquez explore this ethical dilemma. [Directed by Prashanti Aswani, narrated by Pen-Pen Chen, music by Johnny Knittle].

The talk

  1. When should you break a promise? 5 min · TED's player

Credits and licence

Institution
TED
Department
TED-Ed
Speaker
Michael Vazquez and Sarah Stroud
Year
2025
Level
For everyone
Language
English
Subjects
Philosophy, Teaching and learning
Source
TED
Licence
CC BY-NC-ND 4.0, as TED states it. Non-commercial use only, and no changed versions. TED's terms
Attribution
TED Talks are licensed by TED under Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 4.0 International and are shown here in TED's own player, as TED's usage policy asks.
Who can watch
TED gives no rating. Invisible Network shows it to Teens profiles and older, judged from what the source says about it. How courses are placed