Loyalty, it is something I just don't get.

Note as the OP: I apologies in advance for anything that is American centric.

Loyalty to to political party: There are many differences of opinion within an individual party, yet people say, "I am a republican!" or "I am a democrat!" as if that tells someone exactly what political beliefs you hold. Far to often do I see people change their own beliefs because the political party they associate with has changed their views. I have heard one to many a person claim that they were for or against something when Bush was in office. Yet, their view has switched since Obama has been in office, even though Bush and Obama took the same stance on the issue in question.
And please, tell me, what is so wrong with admitting that the opposing political party could be right on something. People are so loyal to their party, that everything their party does is right and everything the other party does is wrong.
I can't even grasp aligning myself with a particular party. I can side with one party on one issue and a different party on the next. (I won't get into the fact that it is all an illusion here)

Loyalty to sports teams: Players change, coaches change, the structure of the team changes. The team might have the same name, but it isn't the same team. You are not apart of the team. Cheering for the team isn't going to make the players play any better, yet people will fight each other and even kill in the name of sports team. What happens when you think someone from the rival team is a better player than someone from your team? Can you bring your self to support them on merit versus team name? You so proudly advertise that you support a particular team as if that actually makes a difference, why?

Brand loyalty: Ok, I can understand this on when it comes to food to a point, because I may find one tastes better than the other, but when the recipe changes, I may pick something else up. Things like clothing lines or models of cars, I just don't get. Different items of clothing, even in the same brand are made different, fit different, and more often than not, are made using the slave labor of an 8 year old child. Yet people don't care because the name carries prestige and makes them cool. Who cares if the quality has gone down in the last 5 years and none of it fits you properly.
And cars, I hear people say they will only buy a certain type of car. Now I can understand if that particular brand is know for it's quality, but when the manufacture has started producing unreliable vehicles, and another company has vehicles that out preform the company you are so loyal too, then what?

Country loyalty: The extreme, "my country is #1 and all other country's suck." attitude makes no sense to me. First of all, unless you moved here from another country by your own volition, then you really had no say in the fact that you ended up in the country you live in. And guess what, some country's do certain things better than your own and some do things worse. Every place has their pros and cons.

Loyalty to people who share the same skin color: Why not hair or eye color. What makes on color of skin superior or inferior than the other? You know what , from no one I am going to agree with everyone who has the same eye color as me right or wrong. and if someone who has the same eye color as me starts behaving like someone with a different eye color or wears colored contacts, I am going to accuse them of betraying our eye color.

Loyalty to neighborhood: Ok this one just baffles me period.

Loyalty to your high school: You graduated how long ago? If you went in there today, would anyone know who you were? This isn't something that was big where I grew up, but I hear that is a big deal in other parts of the U.S.

Most importantly

Loyalty to family: If your family has earned your loyalty, then yes, but if they are toxic and back stab you then what makes blood more important than a friend who has stood beside you more than they ever have? What ties a family together, where to the bonds of loyalty come from? I am guessing it is a choice, but why? Outside of children depending on their parents, there is no magic string that connects one person to another because they share some DNA. What cause one set of sibling to always stick by each other and another set to hate each other? It is the bond or lack of bond of friendship not blood. So why he loyalty at all cost that some people have, even with toxic family?

a reply to: calstorm

Wow. A well thought out post on a subject that I think about from time to time. I think much as you do. Loyalty is earned. As far as I am concerned, loyalty and trust go hand in hand.

I don't thinks the following fits the loyalty niche, but I probably fail your criteria on sports. I'm a Green Bay Packers fan. I love the teams tradition and how it was formed. The history of it all. I was happy to see Mr. Drama leave (Brett Favre). I don't rage when they lose, but will admit to rolling my eyes when some one screws up. I support the players when they are "The Team" but don't get bent out shape when they go to greener pastures. Another thing I like is that they will disappear from the NFL rather than move. As a matter of they can't, and probably never even thought of it as their season tickets are sold out generations in advance. LOL

But other than that, you're spot on.

a reply to: calstorm

There is nothing wrong with remaining loyal to someone or something which has earned that loyalty.

The mistake that many people make, is remaining loyal in the face of behaviour which renders the object of ones loyalty, unworthy of that fine regard.

For example, those loyal to the British Government, are traitors to its people at the moment, because the government is not acting in the best interests of its people, but of its self, as evidenced by the disappearance of dossiers containing details of a pedophile network in the upper reaches of the establishment in the country, the fact that the current government are seeking to erode the already neutered power of the Unions, by altering the rules on striking in order to make achieving the necessary numbers by ballot, more difficult, and a whole host of other, totally ridiculous measures and policies, which benefit the common man not one whit.

Another example of misplaced loyalty, is the mate who stands by a person who has abused his spouse, or raped someone. The moment someone proves that they are not worthy of ones respect and loyalty, those things should be removed from that person, and they should be treated according to their actions, not according to the loyalty they once inspired.

One has to be prepared to look at all things, and all people honestly, and re-evaluate ones opinion, and investment of loyalty in those things and people, on a regular and frequent basis. A failure to do this, is what is responsible for many vile circumstances, many of which are making headlines in my country at the moment. Similar failures, although in a totally different arena of life, are what causes people to vote down party lines in democratic elections, rather than examining the policies of those they are about to elect.

However, there is nothing wrong with loyalty in and of itself. The ability to remain loyal to a just cause, or a good person, or a good product or a fine ideal, is laudable. It is when one remains so in the face of overwhelming evidence that the target of their respect is not worthy of it, that is when things start to go wrong.

a reply to: calstorm

May I put it in context?

Loyalty is tribal.

It is a remnant of a time in our evolution where loyalty in the tribe meant safety and security and a continuation of the genetic line.

It is a comfort zone for many. It is a remedy for any number of insecurities.

I am unique!
I am an individual!
Just ask my group(s) on Faceblog!

I can agree with most of this.
Except the sports.
Don't tell me I can't be loyal to my Redwings, or my Lions. I'm not saying they deserve it most years, LOL, but for me it has to do with my state, and the fact that I like these sports.
I love being a Michigander. Don't always love the people, or the politics, but my state is beautiful, so I just support our teams.

And I take a lot of crap for it. But that's ok.

It's because people are conservative by nature and distrust change.

Why do I live where I'm living? Because I've always lived there!

If I was a would-be immigrant and you showed me a map of the country and pointed to the area in which I live and said, "Fancy living here?" I'd go, "No, not really...but rural Scotland looks okay."

Yet I'm still, if you like, 'loyal' to this area.

Change is painful.

a reply to: TrueBrit

I agree with you.

I am very loyal...but not stupid. Loyalty requires trust, honor and fair dealing. Without those, it's simply an abusive, dysfunctional relationship.