MY QUESTION: -

Would you agree if I say that the universal quality of 'LOYALTY' is being sidelined in life in general?

More on this question: -


I believe that the values of life are declining day by day. The quality of loyalty is one. Our moral calls for loyalty in relationship such as loyalty in family relations, professional relations, spouse relations, loyalty to our providers and loyalty to those who serve us - to name a few. Think for a while and answer in detail: - (1) Does it exist the way it should be or is it on exit? (2) If it does not what are the reasons? (3) How can that quality be strengthened and cultivated afresh?


BEST ANSWER - Chosen By Voters

Not in my life brother. Everyone around me is loyal to each other, significant other, family & all the gang bangers that frequent my life.

Human ethics tend to fall into the "if you do for me, I'll do for you" spectrum, as opposed to the, "I'll do for you, and then you do for me" spectrum.

Most people learn an important lesson early on in life. Human beings are basically one insult, one fit of anger, one slap across the face, one inconsiderate action, away from descending into animal-like behavior. You see it everyday, on the news, in the supermarket, at the intersection. A small portion of people rise above this, and a small portion sink below this, but for most people, the limits of their loyalty stop when their internal "scale" tips just past the halfway point.

If you look at Maslow's hierarchy of needs, secondary and tertiary needs (friends, possessions) are not necessary for survival, but they're more than sufficient reasons for people to abandon their loyalty. A rare few will remain loyal when their primary needs are threatened, but most people will turn if their most basic human needs are in jeopardy.

Think of the most loyal relationship you can imagine... a mother and her infant. If the infant's life is threatened, some mothers will sacrifice their own lives to save the infant, even if the chances are good that the infant will die without the mother. In fact, nature would prefer the infant die, and the mother can have another child. This is an extreme case where too much loyalty can be a bad thing.

Loyalty can be taught, and sometimes even enforced, but true loyalty (like true respect) must be earned. The burden is not on the followers, employees, children, etc to remain loyal, but on the leaders, employers and parents to be the types of people deserving of loyalty. If a person desires loyalty, they simply need to act and behave in ways that inspire others to be like them.

OTHER ANSWERS: -

1. "But know this, that in the last days critical times hard to deal with will be here. For MEN (mankind) will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, self-assuming, haughty, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, "DISLOYAL", having no natural affection, not open to any agreement, slanderers, without self-control, fierce, without love of goodness, betrayers, headstrong, puffed up with pride, lovers of pleasures, rather than lovers of God, having a form of Godly devotion, but proving false to its power, and from these turn away." 2nd Timothy 3:1-5. Doesn't this scripture pretty much sum up the condition of the "world" today? If you talk to an elderly person today, they will often say things like, " In my day, things were so different, kids respected their elders, families stayed together, etc..." Even I can say being raised up in the 60's and 70's, that society has changed drastically, and NOT for the better. The only solution I can see is we CAN work on those things individually, however, as for the bigger picture, (the world) I can only hope in God's promise that He will intercede to bring about changes in a universal way. As you can clearly see, not everyone is concerned about God's instructions on how to treat others

2. Nothing is declining -it is only changing- regarding loyalty- better return the help received from any corner in the way they expect /want.

3. Yes, moral binding of or values of life is declining. But loyalty remains strong. Loyalty in family relationship is declining, professional relationship is declining. But loyalty to greed, loyalty to the powerful, loyalty to corrupt ways of making money, loyalty to individual ego are all rising. If loyalty to leaders and ideas was not there terrorism could not have proliferated. If loyalty to self-ego and sexual desire were not there, why would individuals go on marrying and divorcing repeatedly. If loyalty to money is not there, why would people make money through corrupt means. What has declined is not loyalty. Loyalty has changed from values anchors like honesty, integrity, selfless love for others, attitude of sacrificing for others, patience, tolerance, to new anchors of dishonesty, money making, greed, sex desire, self ego, jealousy.
The reason for this change was because for long loyalty was taken for granted and loyalty was imposed rather than understood. There is now a phase of revolt against loyalty to values was rewarded with the chain of serfdom, slavery. The current revolt is not making people really free. They are falling from frying pan of one type of slavery to fire of more dangerous type of slavery.
To get back to moral values will take time. People have to come to great grief after they pursue with the current set of values. They will cry for getting out of the greater mess that are traveling towards. They will look for leaders who will care for their uplift in moral standards and lift them out of the quagmire. It will take place only as part of a natural process. We have to bear with the current phase of human beings rushing in to the quagmire by pursuing unsustainable, counter productive values.

4. Thanks a lot. Some one coming up with such thoughts. I 100% agree with you.

(1) We can't say that it is at exit, otherwise how fellow like you are in existence! "LOYALTY" today also exisst in each of us, but it is hidden.

(2) It is not exposed for the reason that "the few literates, very few available today, are over come by educated mass, of today, to that extent that it looks like disappearance of literates".

(3) And you know positive characteristics of an human being, Loyalty being one out of those, could be retained only when one is positively literate. Further universality of loyalty is to take birth from beginning 'the root", which is family, from where child starts learning literature of life to become positive human member of the society. Once the families become literate environmental platform of universal loyalty would emerge on its' own.

I would feel honoured if I become contributor in the effort of yours' you are aiming at.


4. Either a person is loyal or not loyal as it is an inner individual virtue. You can't classify loyalty in many. The other forms you mentioned are not called loyalty but selfishness. Loyalty is broad minded not narrow minded.

5. Yes! I believe so as now a days people will go on to ditch any one who is near one. I think it is really on the exit. It can be strengthened by incorporating values regarding GOD and the fear of GOD as unless the belief on some Supernatural power is incorporated the ethical values are not developed the fact about Loyalty would go on decreasing.

6. loyality means
L love
O of
Y yourself
A and
L love
T to
Y yourself
then where is the problem?

7. The time and values are fast changing. The pace of change is unimaginable. In the melee, people have no time for values, qualms etc. Hats off to those who maintain their value system, even in the midst of the madding crowd's ignoble strife.