We venerate loyalty to our schools employers institutions friends as a virtue Loyalty however can be at least as detrimental an influence as it can be a beneficial one

“We venerate loyalty – to our schools, employers, institutions, friends – as a virtue. Loyalty, however, can be at least as detrimental an influence as it can be a beneficial one.” It is true. There are two sides to every coin. While loyalty is a virtue of essence in relationships – a strongly desired trait – for example, loyalty is expected from both sides in a marriage; loyal relationships work better because they induce a sense of trust – there are certain limitations to the concept of loyalty.

Too much loyalty is detrimental to a relationship. Strained relationships do exist, and if the only force holding a relationship together is loyalty, it creates more tension than trust. For example, if one of the partners is cheating on the other, and the latter still does not act just for the sake of being the ‘loyal’ one, then he/she will be living in the relationship in resentment. Knowing that the other partner is cheating, while still being committed will eventually lead to a situation worse than before – where problems like communication gaps, mistrust and pretention will creep in.

Loyalty is often fuelled with expectations. If an employee is utterly loyal to his boss, then he expects something in return – a promotion, a raise, or simply, being the boss’s favourite. Conditions where these expectations are not met will lead to collapsing of the foundation on which the loyalty was based. This may lead to bitter emotions, loss of faith in the cause or person towards which the loyalty was shown, which will eventually lead to hampering of the individual performance, and eventually of the network.

In personal social settings, like a group of peers, loyalty is often misconstrued as an indicator of ‘standing by’ in all conditions. For example, if a group of friends commits a crime, like shoplifting, then by the definitions of loyalty, none of the members in the group would admit to the crime. Even in a case, where these friends are caught, and asked to confess, being loyal would eventually mean not implicating others, even if it means taking the entire blame on one’s own self. The definitions of loyalty in settings like these – where peer pressure and the need to fit in arises – are often more twisted and convoluted, being harmful either to the individual or the society as a whole.

So, as much as loyalty is desired in individuals when it comes to social situations, it is not far from its cons. It can be detrimental in a variety of situations, as opposed to the virtue it is considered to be.