When Brazilians make agreements, the commitment exists within the relationship between the parties, not as a freestanding transaction. The relationship provides context, meaning, and security for the agreement.
This means you need to establish relationship before making significant agreements—Brazilians invest in knowing and trusting someone before committing to them. It also means that the same agreement terms may operate differently depending on who is involved; relationship quality affects how agreements function.
If you approach agreements purely as transactions, separate from relationship, something essential is missing. Build the relationship; the agreement will flow from it. Maintain the relationship; the agreement will work better.
When you keep agreements, you strengthen relationship; when you fail them, you damage it. The relational dimension is not separate from the agreement—it is where the agreement lives.
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