The Quality of Loyalty

One quality of character that must not be overlooked is the quality of loyalty. It is essential in every worthy relationship of life: in families; among friends; between teammates; between employer and employee; loyalty to those who work for us, and with us, and loyalty to those who provide employment.

When we work for someone in honorable employment, we should give full service⎯for only by the success and solvency of the ventures we work for can there be assurance of security. And so long as we receive benefits from an honorable source we should be loyal to it, and contribute to its success.

Like other essential qualities of character, loyalty gives the assurance of what we can count on. It gives the assurance that friends will not faintheartedly fade from us at the first failure of fair weather. This does not mean that a person should protect another person in evil, or in violation of law, but should insist on fair presentation of facts. Significantly, a search would show that loyalty comes from the same word root as law, and these words are associated in dictionary definition: “Faithful and true to the lawful government . . . true to any person or persons to whom one owes fidelity, as a wife to her husband, friend to friend; fidelity to a superior [and, we might add⎯to a subordinate] . . . to duty . . . to principle; . . . lawful and legitimate . . . allegiance.”

This calls up the question of what might be called “unlawful loyalty.” Lawless men may be loyal so long as their mutual safety depends upon it, but disloyal as soon as one, by sacrificing the other, can serve the cause of his own safety or survival. One cannot enter into an evil or unlawful act or association, or conspire to do anything dishonorable with anyone else, and be assured of the limits of loyalty. Evil and friendship, evil and honor, are not compatible.

But the righteous love and loyalty of family and friends; loyalty among people for high purpose, loyalty to high principle⎯such is the loyalty that persuades a person to stand steadfast as to an issue or an honorable obligation, even after it becomes inconvenient. Without the quality of loyalty there is little in life that can be counted on.