As in most ethical situations, making a true or false promise involves other people. Almos
t every time we ask "What should I do?" we are aware that other people are involved in our behavior. Why should someone ask himself before making a false promise, "Is it right?" It may be that he is afraid of being found out. He may, however, wonder whether it is fair to the other person. How we relate ourselves to others or how we behavior. affects others makes up most of the subject matter of ethics. Being aware of others is more than wondering how our actions will affect them; we are also Concerned about how the behavior. of others will affect us. There is no satisfactory way for us to avoid the presence of other people. The most we can do is try to arrange the rules of behavior, of ethics, in order to reduce the amount of friction and conflict and thereby achieve the greatest amount of harmony. Whether our actions are right and good will depend to a great extent on the effect they will have on others. Actions such as telling a falsehood, stealing, injuring, and killing are considered wrong most of the time because they result in varying degrees of harm to someone. They also produce reactions from the victims, who in effect say, "If it is right for you to do that to me, then I will not hesitate to do the same thing to you."