Loyalty is one of the better traits a human being can possess. Sadly it is one I see missing in too many. Loyalty , to some, has become a bad word. They have become loyal only to their own wants and needs. Loyalty to God and country is being pushed aside. The motivation is as old as man himself, greed. You can't truly be loyal to anything, if your only wish is to satisfy your own desires. To be loyal you must remain unafraid. You can't be afraid and loyal at the same time. Loyalty requires faith.
Consider the loyalty to your chosen partner for instance. Isn't it faith that binds ? I have faith in you and you have faith in me. I'm not afraid to share with you because I have nothing to hide, there is no deceit. Once a deceit has been exposed, the faith is weakened. Loyalty comes under question. Few things arouse such hurt and disappointment as having your integrity questioned. It is my belief that hurt and disappointment stems from examining your own lack of loyalty. I can find blame, make excuses to place that blame elsewhere, but I can never erase the truth. And in so having discovered that, I turn and run. The tragic part is the other person in this has had their faith shaken. Doubts begin to creep in and erode them as well. They begin to look for the fault in themselves. That is when the deceit is complete. Some will remain isolated, while others rapidly seek a replacement. In both instances it is the desire for the reciprocity of loyalty they so desperately seek.
Sacrifice is a word we hear a lot these days. It is also misunderstood just as often. A sacrifice is something offered with the hope of a return. A sacrifice is not a gift. It is not given freely and has nothing to do with loyalty. Loyalty requires no sacrifice. Loyalty is freely given and is not dependent upon set parameters. That is to say, the question of loyalty isn't answered with, it depends. Like your family you don't abandon them because they don't meet your expectations. Well, at least you shouldn't, family is irreplaceable. That isn't to say you make " sacrifices " for them to your own determent. That isn't the function of loyalty. Loyalty is accepting something for what it is. That is loyalty. Loyalty doesn't imply that whatever it is doesn't have flaws, quite the contrary. If you are truly loyal you are unafraid of those flaws.
I have noticed an increase in the way people are adopting pets and their treatment of them. Let's begin with the word adoption. That is what they say these days, I adopted a pet. The pet is part of my family, it is a fur baby. Some even purchase clothing for these babies. You do have to ask what is the attraction here ? I'd say it was the desire for loyalty. Nothing says loyalty like a pet, especially a dog. They are always there for you, no questions asked, no comments offered, just there to please you. They really serve no other function in our lives. Now, there are exceptions of course, service dogs and the like, but I'm talking about pets here. What is their purpose ? To give us unconditional loyalty, which some label as love, is the answer. Loyalty and love do walk side by side, hand in hand as the saying goes. Even when you forget, or outright neglect them, they remain loyal. You can put your own self interest above theirs every time and they will remain loyal. Do you think they love you ? Or is it that the have become dependent ? Does it matter ? I'd say it doesn't matter one iota. Man has kept pets for the enjoyment of them as long as man has been around. I only bring the subject up as a demonstration of what loyalty really is. Loyalty is the trait in animals that we humans desire from one another.
I'm wondering what has happened here. Where is the loyalty these days ? Just throw loyalty under the bus whenever something doesn't suit you ? Discard it as something no longer useful, treat it as an impediment. I will only support things I find useful to myself. That is the attitude I see every day. No longer is it for God and Country, now it is for me ! Loyalty and allegiance ? Fanciful concepts, ideas from the past with no relevance in todays society ? We have pets for that sort of thing. In fact, I should disavow any and all allegiances and loyalty in the name of progress. I'm too smart for that. Smarter than what ? A dog ? Think about that for a while.
Consider the loyalty to your chosen partner for instance. Isn't it faith that binds ? I have faith in you and you have faith in me. I'm not afraid to share with you because I have nothing to hide, there is no deceit. Once a deceit has been exposed, the faith is weakened. Loyalty comes under question. Few things arouse such hurt and disappointment as having your integrity questioned. It is my belief that hurt and disappointment stems from examining your own lack of loyalty. I can find blame, make excuses to place that blame elsewhere, but I can never erase the truth. And in so having discovered that, I turn and run. The tragic part is the other person in this has had their faith shaken. Doubts begin to creep in and erode them as well. They begin to look for the fault in themselves. That is when the deceit is complete. Some will remain isolated, while others rapidly seek a replacement. In both instances it is the desire for the reciprocity of loyalty they so desperately seek.
Sacrifice is a word we hear a lot these days. It is also misunderstood just as often. A sacrifice is something offered with the hope of a return. A sacrifice is not a gift. It is not given freely and has nothing to do with loyalty. Loyalty requires no sacrifice. Loyalty is freely given and is not dependent upon set parameters. That is to say, the question of loyalty isn't answered with, it depends. Like your family you don't abandon them because they don't meet your expectations. Well, at least you shouldn't, family is irreplaceable. That isn't to say you make " sacrifices " for them to your own determent. That isn't the function of loyalty. Loyalty is accepting something for what it is. That is loyalty. Loyalty doesn't imply that whatever it is doesn't have flaws, quite the contrary. If you are truly loyal you are unafraid of those flaws.
I have noticed an increase in the way people are adopting pets and their treatment of them. Let's begin with the word adoption. That is what they say these days, I adopted a pet. The pet is part of my family, it is a fur baby. Some even purchase clothing for these babies. You do have to ask what is the attraction here ? I'd say it was the desire for loyalty. Nothing says loyalty like a pet, especially a dog. They are always there for you, no questions asked, no comments offered, just there to please you. They really serve no other function in our lives. Now, there are exceptions of course, service dogs and the like, but I'm talking about pets here. What is their purpose ? To give us unconditional loyalty, which some label as love, is the answer. Loyalty and love do walk side by side, hand in hand as the saying goes. Even when you forget, or outright neglect them, they remain loyal. You can put your own self interest above theirs every time and they will remain loyal. Do you think they love you ? Or is it that the have become dependent ? Does it matter ? I'd say it doesn't matter one iota. Man has kept pets for the enjoyment of them as long as man has been around. I only bring the subject up as a demonstration of what loyalty really is. Loyalty is the trait in animals that we humans desire from one another.
I'm wondering what has happened here. Where is the loyalty these days ? Just throw loyalty under the bus whenever something doesn't suit you ? Discard it as something no longer useful, treat it as an impediment. I will only support things I find useful to myself. That is the attitude I see every day. No longer is it for God and Country, now it is for me ! Loyalty and allegiance ? Fanciful concepts, ideas from the past with no relevance in todays society ? We have pets for that sort of thing. In fact, I should disavow any and all allegiances and loyalty in the name of progress. I'm too smart for that. Smarter than what ? A dog ? Think about that for a while.
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