Should you say ‘No’ and mean it or say ‘Yes’ and not mean it?

I read this quote recently. It sat with me so much that, I saved it so that I could write about it later.

A ‘No’ uttered with the deepest conviction is better & greater than a ‘Yes’, merely uttered to please; or worse, to avoid trouble – M Gandhi

I know that for many people, saying ‘No’ is not easy. At work, with friends, family and in other contexts.

We don’t want to let others down,
We want to be respected,
We want others to feel that we can help & perhaps even save them.

But what happens when one say ‘Yes’ but doesn’t deliver?

A one off may be forgiven and even forgotten but someone who repeatedly says ‘Yes’ but means or delivers a ‘No’ wont be respected or liked.

Will they?

Do you have different thoughts about this?