Loyalty

Loyalty
Loyalty is a complicated concept, which can be interpreted in many points of views. It is related to many other terms such as love, friendships, family relationships and many others. Loyalty is most of the time the basis of these other concepts. Without the presence of loyalty a strong relativity can never be built. Other than emotional relativities, loyalty is valid for many other areas as well. The dictionary defines the word loyalty as; “the state or quality of being loyal; faithfulness to commitments or obligations. The feelings of devoted attachment and affection. Faithful adherence to a sovereign, government, leader, cause, etc.”(Dictionary.com). Loyalty is characterized as a noun. As seen in this definition, loyalty is relevant with devotion, and affection. Many people know devotion as a synonym for loyalty. This is wrong. The reason for this is that loyalty can only be the basis of devotion, not the definition of it. The situation is the same for affection also. Affection cannot be present without loyalty, but there can be loyalty without affection.
There are of course other concepts that loyalty is relevant with. Love, such as affection, cannot be present without loyalty. A healthy relationship can only be built on loyalty. By relationship, every kind of relativity is meant. Mystic Madness says, “Loyalty in relationship is a much sought after factor. It is much needed and desired. It is the single most factors that let us first fall in relationship itself. Every relationship has expectations and loyalty forms the foundation of it. It is in its inherent nature of Loyalty lies a bonding that keeps the core of human relationship intact”. Without loyalty, the concept of family should not be considered. As stated in the introduction, there are many interpretations of loyalty. The most common one is, understanding loyalty as a childish habit. Especially in our society, this opinion is common. Often, men think of being loyal to their wives as a feminine issue. On the other hand, a more important problem is that women are not expecting loyalty from their husbands anymore. This is a very unfortunate example of degeneration of a society, because of lacking loyalty. Another misinterpretation of loyalty can be as the following. Often times loyalty is being used as a weapon against the loyal person. A bad natured person can use the loyalty of the other person against him and can do a lot of things. Trust (another relevant concept) is the key concept here. Along with loyalty, trust comes, and trust is the key to deceit and lying. Other than emotional areas, loyalty is the key to other things as well. For example, in businesses, employers should gain the loyalty of their employees to succeed in their business. If the employee does not feel trust towards his employer, then he or she would not be enthusiastic in working for him. Likewise, if a raise is expected, more people are prone to be loyal to their employer. Big achievements cannot take place without loyalty between the two sides. A prime example of loyalty can be found in the medical field. Loyalty is a very important virtue in a doctor’s job. A patient would definitely want to feel that their doctor is being loyal to them. The reason is, as said before, loyalty brings trust along with it, and trust is a definite idea in a doctor- patient relationship.
I believe everyone have questioned their own loyalty to their love ones or have their loyalty questioned and questioned loyalty from those we care about. I can recall this happening to me two times in my life in regards to my current boyfriend and mom.
I constantly find myself giving my all to people, even when they do not deserve it. I know relationships are not perfect and they take a lot of time and effort equally from both people in order for the relationship to sustain. Most people would look at me and say what you know about love and relationships at your age. But does love have an age limit? My boyfriend and I been together on and off for more than a year. I can honestly say I am in love and demonstrate it timelessly. I want to see him do better and get ahead in life so I encouraged him to go back to school and get his high school diploma. I helped him on his work and gave him many words of encouragement when at times he felt like he could not do it or was slacking. Other things I can think back on doing is getting him a job, money and just being there whenever he needed me to. We share many great times, laughter and he makes me happy. But there are times when I question his loyalty especially when he disrespects and embarrasses me and when we get into disagreements he is sometimes quick to end the relationship. I feel loyalty in relationships is when you are there for a person through their happiest moments and also there through hardships, no matter how hard it becomes to hold on; you stick it out and work it out. I know from the outside looking in it may appear that I am putting more into the relationship than what I am getting out and that may be true. I guess that thing that is keeping us together is love and I can see his potential. I think about all the good times we have and just do not want it to go to waste. I hope one day he realizes how loyal I am to him and he changes his ways and be the same to me.
I felt that a lot of people in my family might have questioned my loyalty especially my mom and sister. My father passed away before I was born so I was use to it being my mom, sister and I. Of course my mom had a couple of boyfriends here and there but I never felt intimidated by them. It was not until I was eight and my mom started dating my now stepdad who lived in Texas when I felt uneasy about one of her relationships. They had gotten really serious and after a couple of years of them dating we moved from Chicago to Texas. The change was so sudden, I was now in a new state that I never visited, had no family or friends here, had to two other sibling and had to get use to living with a man. My whole world changed and I had no say so. I will admit I did everything in my power to not give my stepdad a chance and began to act out. As the years progressed I developed an attitude problem, became very hostile, started lying a lot and dated boys my parents did not approve of which further hindered my relationship more with my parents. All I wanted was for my mom to break up with my stepdad and the three of us return back to Chicago. When it came time for them to get married I wrote my mom the ugliest letter saying I would not be there, hoping she would rethink this whole thing. I just felt my mom was replacing my dad and if I accepted my stepdad I would be too, as well as being disloyal to my real dad. They did indeed get married without me there and I later regretted not going. As I matured and got older I realize my mom was not replacing my dad but giving the opportunity to have a dad in my life. I also realized that I did not show any loyalty to my mom on one of the most important days of her life. Although I did not agree on her getting married at the time, I should have swallowed my pride and been there for my mom like she always had for me. As a young single teen mom, she sacrificed a lot and endured many tough times raising my sister and I. She went above and beyond to provide for us and giving us a good life. I think a big part of being loyal is being selfless, sacrificing your happiness for the sake of others. Although I could not see it back then, because I was too busy thinking about myself and my happiness, I am very thankful for all sacrifices my mom made for my sister and I to have a good life and for that I will forever be loyal to her.
Loyalty is a virtue that is a must in almost everything human beings take part in life. It is the key to succeeding, as well as possessing healthy relationships. If thought analytically, it will be understood that almost every problem occurs that concern the human beings is based on either loyalty or the lacking of loyalty.

Dictionary.com, "loyalty," in Dictionary.com Unabridged. Source location: Random House, Inc. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/loyalty. Available: http://dictionary.reference.com. Accessed: December 29, 2012
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