Loyalty is one of the traits that people generally say is important in relationships, be it romantic, friendship, business, or otherwise. Yet some of us don’t make it a priority or give that quality enough credit. Here are some reasons why staying true and sticking by the people and things you care about is the best thing you can do for yourself, and those you care about.
- It’s less messy than constantly switching sides. There are enough things to clean up in life, so making a mess while you go just isn’t necessary. If someone is good to you, treat them well in return. Offer them your unwavering loyalty and feel good knowing you’ll get the same right back.
- It earns you good karma. Is karma real? Who knows, but it might be safer to assume that it is. Loyalty shows dignity and strength of character. It means putting something good out into the world. Good things come around again, right?
- You can be a loyal girl without being a “good” girl. You can be as sassy or as freaky as you want in your relationships but stay loyal and you’ll just feel like trouble instead of actually causing damage. There’s nothing boring about being loyal. Loyalty is hot.
- You’ll form deeper connections. Loyalty leads to feelings of security, which leads to better communication and deeper bonds. It allows you to be more vulnerable and encourages other people to open up since they know you’re going to be there for them no matter what. How rewarding is that?
- You have to be loyal to yourself, too. Loyal to your emotions, beliefs, needs responsibilities, health… You’re the only person who’s going to be by your side forever. You deserve loyalty.
- You won’t get passed up for work opportunities. You can be great at a job, but if you aren’t accountable or you have a reputation for screwing people over, it’s much harder to grow and be rewarded for your work. Of course, there’s a thin line between being loyal and being a doormat, so make sure you know where to draw it.
- One disloyal act can ruin years of loyalty. Might as well keep the good thing going. You don’t want to look back with a million and one regrets.
- You can be loyal but still have boundaries. Being loyal doesn’t mean you have to put up with BS in life; it means you give people an opportunity to show you their true colors and then you make decisions that work for you.
- You’ll be quicker to act when it comes to doing the right thing. If you’re feeling the urge to cheat but just morally can’t allow yourself to do so, then you end a relationship before you cheat and simplify the whole thing for everyone.
- People won’t be out to get you. No ‘eye for an eye’ plans are put into place if you don’t do something shady in the first place. That’s not to say that loyalty assures you’ll never be screwed over, but it certainly makes it less likely.
- It doesn’t make you a badass to be mean. Enough said. It really is this simple.
- You’ll have real relationships. It’s much harder to stay with someone who you know you shouldn’t be with when loyalty is a top priority. Things get real when you’re accountable.
- Guilt hurts like a bitch. Is there a worse feeling than knowing that you could have avoided hurting someone you care about? Loyalty means you never purposely hurt people you claim to care about. That’s so important.
- You’re more likely to be treated with loyalty, as well. If you’re loyal, most people will be loyal right back.
- Your exes won’t be able to say bad things about you. Well, okay, maybe there are a couple of bad things they could say about you, but won’t be that you’re a cheater.
- You’ll have more friends. Disloyal people tend to blow people off when they make new friends, but if you’re loyal, you can just keep adding friends. Much more reasonable.
- People will remember it. In the short term, hustling around for the best opportunities can be tempting, but in the long term, people keep around trustworthy and stable people above all else.
- Your power will come from respect. Not from your ability to swindle and play games. Being someone who values loyalty is rare and it’s powerful. Remember that.
- Loyalty lets people know that they’re wanted in your life. There is less pressure to try to make romantic relationships and friendships work when people inherently know that they’re working.
