loy·al·ty
n.
1. The state or quality of being loyal (fidelity)
2. A feeling or attitude of devoted attachment and affection
The Chinese symbol or ideogram for loyalty combines the elements that represent faithful, honest and patriotic with those of heart, nature, mind and affection. The Chinese definition is certainly oriented towards honesty and righteousness.
My exposure to Asian studies reinforced the precept of loyalty in me as a young adult. I’m not speaking of the devout honour-based variety as seen in Japanese Bushido, where the samurai would elect to die out of a moral duty to country, superior or cause, rather than to surrender. Nor the strict Confucian principle that extolled the virtue of filial piety ~ a sense of obedience to parental authority.
Rather, I’m speaking of the invisible energy that binds two people. A pledge of both heart and will, rooted in one’s strength of character and ethical principle. Something more wide-reaching than simple friendliness, more full-bodied than simply the feeling of love, loyalty is the bedrock of all healthy and trustworthy relationships.
In my opinion it is that sense of loyalty that drives us not to abandon a friend even when personal gain might be in jeopardy. Alternatively, it is that force which drives us to preserve a friend’s confidence and integrity and that which makes it possible to challenge an act of character assassination despite overwhelming social pressure. A simple misunderstanding or difficulty will not undermine a relationship, nor will that friendship ever be exploited if loyalty is at its foundation.
Yes, loyalty is the glue in all meaningful relationships, whether it is a relationship between family, partners or friends. In the final analysis, all of one's accomplishments in life take on little meaning, without a single friend or loved one with whom to share them. Philosopher, Aristotle, and model eudaemonist, (the ethical concern for a state of human flourishing or well-being), stated,
n.
1. The state or quality of being loyal (fidelity)
2. A feeling or attitude of devoted attachment and affection
The Chinese symbol or ideogram for loyalty combines the elements that represent faithful, honest and patriotic with those of heart, nature, mind and affection. The Chinese definition is certainly oriented towards honesty and righteousness.
My exposure to Asian studies reinforced the precept of loyalty in me as a young adult. I’m not speaking of the devout honour-based variety as seen in Japanese Bushido, where the samurai would elect to die out of a moral duty to country, superior or cause, rather than to surrender. Nor the strict Confucian principle that extolled the virtue of filial piety ~ a sense of obedience to parental authority.
Rather, I’m speaking of the invisible energy that binds two people. A pledge of both heart and will, rooted in one’s strength of character and ethical principle. Something more wide-reaching than simple friendliness, more full-bodied than simply the feeling of love, loyalty is the bedrock of all healthy and trustworthy relationships.
In my opinion it is that sense of loyalty that drives us not to abandon a friend even when personal gain might be in jeopardy. Alternatively, it is that force which drives us to preserve a friend’s confidence and integrity and that which makes it possible to challenge an act of character assassination despite overwhelming social pressure. A simple misunderstanding or difficulty will not undermine a relationship, nor will that friendship ever be exploited if loyalty is at its foundation.
Yes, loyalty is the glue in all meaningful relationships, whether it is a relationship between family, partners or friends. In the final analysis, all of one's accomplishments in life take on little meaning, without a single friend or loved one with whom to share them. Philosopher, Aristotle, and model eudaemonist, (the ethical concern for a state of human flourishing or well-being), stated,
"Without friends, no one would want to live, even if he had all other goods."
That statement never more poignant to me than right now.
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