Loyalty And Disloyalty In Relationship

Loyalty, a simple word, that holds an incomparable, powerful meaning. According to the dictionary, loyalty is the quality or state of being loyal. However, it really means being faithful and devoted to someone or something. It means creating a bond and forming a relationship that cannot be broken, that ties you to something. Being loyal is not an obligation, it is something that thrives off of moral characteristics and freely made decisions.

An aspect of loyalty is trust. Part of trust means being respectful of one another without discriminating against differences or weaknesses. Loyalty is shown in trust when helping to compensate for their weaknesses. Being loyal means keeping secrets and confidences. Any information that is given to you privately should be guarded and not be given to others unless mentioned otherwise. This means it is not acceptable to “tell just one more person,” as you don’t know who that one person may tell.

Loyalty is constantly exemplified in our day-to-day lives by those around us. It is evident in the family. For example, a mother will care for her child, regardless of whether she is there or not. One can show loyalty to their family by giving up hanging out with their friends, to be with their aging grandmother to give them company. Loyalty can also be shown in relationships. For example, a couple stays faithful to one another and does not cheat on one another. Loyalty in a relationship can also mean siding with your partner even when he/ she may be at fault. Loyalty can also be shown in friendships. For example, someone might stand up for their friend in front of other people. It can also mean, standing by a friend that is going through tough times. Loyalty can be seen professionally. For example, a teacher stays loyal to her job and creates lesson plans for his/her students. Loyalty can also be seen in religion. For example, one might stay committed and follow the faith of their religion. God, too can be viewed as loyal to people as god will still accept and forgive one despite their sins. Loyalty can be seen nationally, in the soldiers that put themselves in danger to fight to protect their country. Finally, there is loyalty to oneself. This means following your faiths and morals and continuing to remain devoted to them regardless of the situation. For example, Martin Luther King Jr. stood up for his beliefs and stood up for people, democracy, and human rights.

Often loyalty is overlooked until the bond holding it is broken. In most cases, once broken, the bond that is lost cannot be repaired the same. A common example of disloyalty is infidelity in a relationship. Once a partner is aware that their significant other cheated on them, they can no longer trust and be able to support the other person as the loyal bond between them was broken. A minor example of disloyalty is shaming your friend in public or private. Even though it might seem like a small offense, it still has a lasting impact. The other person may no longer feel they can trust you with information if you broke your loyalty to them by not supporting and comforting them in their confidants.