Commitments must be communicated through evidence, not just words.

Evidence

To communicate a threat, one has to communicate the commitment that goes with it, and similarly with a promise; and to communicate a commitment requires more than communication of words. One has to communicate evidence that the commitment exists; this may mean that one can communicate a threat only if he can make the other person see something with his own eyes or if he can find a device to authenticate certain allegations. — Thomas C. Schelling, The Strategy of Conflict, 342

Categorization

• XREF: Grounds the reader’s Mafia-framework point that the Godfather-bond must be made demonstrable - hostages, visible rituals, authenticated mutual knowledge - following Schellingian credible-commitment logic. — connects to: Ritual serves as evidence-free commitment for contracts illegality prevents ratifying; Credible commitment requires proof beyond mere assertion of intent.; Stating a reason creates a presumptive commitment to follow it later — Frederick Schauer, Thinking Like a Lawyer, 325 (+8 more)

Related

• A threat must be credible and credible threats require commitment (similarity 0.88)
• Credible commitment requires finding a penalty against one’s own nonperformance (similarity 0.87)
• A non-costly action can still credibly signal sincere belief. (similarity 0.87)
• Ritual serves as evidence-free commitment for contracts illegality prevents ratifying (similarity 0.84)
• Credible threats can be conveyed by action rather than verbal pledge (similarity 0.83)
• A threat to act is only credible if one is committed, not merely willing (similarity 0.83)
• Credible threats can require revealing information that defeats the threat (similarity 0.82)
• Enforcing one’s own promises requires a supporting legal or information structure (similarity 0.81)
• Extortion and threats require a communication channel to the intended victim. (similarity 0.81)
• Credible threats must attach penalties to observable acts, not intentions (similarity 0.81)
• Protection demands are credible only when they come from established sources. (similarity 0.80)
• A credible conditional commitment must combine both a promise and a threat. (similarity 0.80)
• A threat only coerces when the threatener has visibly left himself no choice (similarity 0.79)
• Willing martyrdom acts as the ultimate credibility-enhancing display (similarity 0.79)
• Irreversible commitments force the enemy, not oneself, to be the one who yields. (similarity 0.79)

Broader Connections

• Credible commitment requires proof beyond mere assertion of intent. #corroborates (0.95)
• Credible threats can be conveyed by action rather than verbal pledge #corroborates (0.85) — Thomas C. Schelling, The Strategy of Conflict, 34
• A threat must be credible and credible threats require commitment #expands (0.85) — Thomas C. Schelling, The Strategy of Conflict, 23
• Credible commitment requires finding a penalty against one’s own nonperformance #expands (0.85) — Thomas C. Schelling, The Strategy of Conflict, 317
• A threat to act is only credible if one is committed, not merely willing #expands (0.80) — Thomas C. Schelling, The Strategy of Conflict, 414
• Stating a reason creates a presumptive commitment to follow it later #complicates (0.75) — Frederick Schauer, Thinking Like a Lawyer, 325
• Trust requires assurance that is at least somewhat well based #corroborates (0.72)