Loyalty: The Two-Way Street and the Short Leash

Thanks to Eric Fulton for this writing prompt. Eric is the geo- tracking mastermind of Eric Fulton’s blog. If you haven’t seen his blog yet, check it out!

If your loyalty had rules, what are they?

Loyalty is a strange virtue. Even at 51, I find myself questioning what is and isn’t “good” when it comes to being loyal.

The Mafia Myth of Unwavering Loyalty

For instance, I often think about the “Mafia” style of loyalty—the kind where a leader expects others to take a criminal fall or a literal bullet for them. I don’t believe in that kind of blind, unwavering devotion. I believe you can be loyal to someone right up until they do something so heinous or despicable that they no longer warrant it.

The Benefit of the Doubt: A Two-Way Stre

To me, loyalty is a trait where someone has to be willing to take the first step. The most basic form of this is simply being given the benefit of the doubt. We’ve all been in “your word against theirs” situations. When someone is willing to take me at my word—trusting my character when push comes to shove—I recognize that immediately. That’s an investment I’m quick to return.

However, I keep large institutions on a much shorter leash.

Why I Keep Institutions on a Short Leash

Take the University of Wisconsin. I feel a strong sense of loyalty there because of the scholarship they awarded my son. But I’m not naive. We’ve seen what happens at places like Michigan State or Penn State when “loyalty” to the brand allowed people to turn a blind eye to horrific actions. When an institution protects its own legacy over the safety of people, it deserves to be brought down.

Walking Away: The Ultimate Self-Loyalty

I’ve felt this on a smaller scale in my own career. I was once very loyal to a school district because they were good to me—right up until they weren’t. When a principal reneged on a job offer, the bond was broken. I could have fought to stay, but why would I offer my loyalty to an environment that had already betrayed mine? In those moments, walking away is the ultimate act of loyalty to oneself.

Loyalty to the Truth First

Ultimately, my loyalty belongs to the truth first and foremost. There have been people I didn’t like or get along with who were accused of things I knew they were innocent of. In those situations, I will defend them. Not because I like them, but because the truth is the truth, and the truth is what matters.

If I had to boil my loyalty down to a few simple rules, they would be:

• Don’t stab me in the back.

• Don’t lie to me.

• Only give as good as you get from me.

I can handle the truth better than any lie.

My trust, faith, and devotion can be revoked at any moment. If you betray my sons or me, the contract is over.

Today’s post is inspired by the WordPress Daily Prompt. While I’ve taken the topic in my own direction for the Road to 1,000 Days, you can find more responses to today’s prompt HERE .

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