The A-Z of Positive Personality Traits - L is for Loyal

The A-Z of Positive Personality Traits - L is for Loyal

Next letter up for the A-Z challenge of Positive Personality Traits is L - and L is for Loyal. I've talked about loyalty a couple of times previously on my blog. I hold loyalty in family and friends as sacrosanct. A friend is not a friend if they can't be trusted to be loyal first and foremost - and loyalty should always triumph over self promotion.

Loyalty is a value that stands on integrity and honesty. Nobody deserves the title of 'friend' if they treat their friends or loved ones in a way that betrays the intrinsic trust in the relationship. If you can't trust your friends who can you trust?

Being loyal means standing up for each other - even if it means 'taking one for the team' and turning down an opportunity, especially if it comes at the expense of another friend. I've seen two incidents in the last 12 months of people stepping into the jobs of close friends before the seat had cooled from that friend being pushed out the door. I can't understand how you can justify walking into a job that belonged to somebody you hold dear and who was screwed over by that same employer you are now happy to work for.

Commiserating with a friend and then taking their job is just poor sportsmanship and shows an amazing lack of loyalty and integrity. Nobody wants a friend who puts the almighty dollar above moral support and allegiance.

The A-Z of Positive Personality Traits - L is for Loyal

I read a quote from Jon Stewart the other day that says: “If you don't stick to your values when they're being tested, they're not values: they're hobbies.” I'm a big fan of quotes (just check out how many quotes boards I have on Pinterest!) and this one rang true for me - values should be values regardless of the situation - otherwise they are fluid and that means you can't really be trusted - especially in the tough times. 

Integrity, honesty, trustworthiness, loyalty - all vital traits in relationships and all interconnected. You can't pick and choose between them and if you want to be a true friend then you need to hold each of them close to your heart.

See you next time for the continuation of Positive Personality Traits - M is for Mindful.

This post is part of the April #atozchallenge.


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34 comments

  1. Very beautiful thoughts Leanne. Indeed if someone puts the dollar before his loyalty, you need to reconsider the relationship! I loved the quote by Jon Stewart! Cheers to loyal friends that stick by us through thick and thin!
    @KalaRavi16 from
    Relax-N-Rave

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    1. loyal friends are certainly the best type Kala :)

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  2. Being loyal is incredibly important. I'm extremely loyal and appreicat when others are too.

    Visit back? I'm writing 26 love stories! http://www.xoxomake.com/writing

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    1. I just assume everyone feels the same way about loyalty Natalia so it surprises me when I see something different in a friend.

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  3. Beautifully said Leanne. Loyalty is the most important trait for me and I appreciate it in others very much. It's disappointing to see the lack of it in other people maybe that's one of the reasons why it is rare and appreciated so much. Thank you.

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    1. I think it ties in with integrity and your behaviour matching what you say your values are Zeljka - that doesn't always seem to be true for people today.

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  4. Very nice post on loyalty 😊
    PositiveVibes ✌
    L for Love ❤ http://smartshivani.blogspot.com/2016/04/l-for-love.html
    Please drop by 😊

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  5. Exactly, Loyalty has no price. I've been very fortunate in my friends. I don't really ever remember being betrayed, but maybe that's because if I was, I didn't consider them a friend in the first place. Great post!

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    1. thanks Cathy - I would never expect it from a trusted friend, but that's where you get even more blindsided when it happens!

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  6. Great post, Leanne. Loyalty is a must in any relationship, but also staying loyal to our own values is a must.

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    1. that's so true Gulara - we need to remember to practice what we preach :)

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  7. Very well said Leanne.. Loyalty is the key and foundation for any relationship and unfortunately many people are not.. Getting betrayed by your friend is the worst thing ever and I just wish nobody goes through it ever...

    Again, a wonderful post:)

    Cheers,
    Srivi - AtoZChallenge
    L for Lipstick | Twitter

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    1. I think loyalty is getting lost a bit in the "me first" culture of today and I find that really sad Srivi.

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  8. I have been blessed with a friend who is the epitome of loyalty. She has been an example to me for over a quarter of a century! Priceless!

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    1. I have a couple of friends like that too Diane - they are the ones who I focus my energy on now days :)

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  9. So true to be loyal and to have people around you who are loyal to you. My son is very loyal to his friends, though sometimes I question his choice of friends.

    betty
    http://viewsfrombenches.blogspot.com/

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    1. I think our children's choice of friends troubles us all at some stage Betty - hopefully he'll become wiser with time and weed out a few of them :)

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  10. Loyalty is something of a lost art these days, but it was a hallmark of the Greatest Generation. I think that's why I love the 40s so much--loyalty is a really big deal to me.
    Carol
    http://carolcassara.com/plan-ahead/

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    1. It's surprisingly a really big deal to me too Carol - if you can't trust people or be trustworthy yourself, then life is not going to be very kind to you.

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  11. I agree with Jon Stewart completely. Loyalty is so crucial to a relationship and once it has been broken, it can never be wholly fixed again.

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    1. I don't think you can fix it properly again either Tam - sometimes you just have to draw the line and walk away.

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  12. Good to see someone else stand up for this value ~ Loyalty! It seems to be dismissed in today's society in order to 'look good' or 'get ahead'. Being disloyal to someone when they've hoped you would have their back is fairly common. :)
    Nice post, Leanne!
    https://meinthemiddlewrites.com/2016/04/14/me-in-the-middle-of-atozchallenge-letter-l/

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    1. It is getting more common isn't it Mary Lou? What a sad indictment on our society and the quality of people it is encouraging us to become.

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  13. I had a bible lesson today with my class on A friend is loyal at all times.... This is one attribute I look for in a friend. Even if we don't spend a ton of time together due to life, to know one will be there at a drop of a hat, makes me happy. Another attribute lacking in today's world is keeping ones' word. Nothing gets me rattled more than someone not keeping their word, even in the smallest way.

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    1. I'm the same Michelle - loyalty, integrity, truth - they're all vital and so quick to be discarded (even by Christians who you would expect to be even more trustworthy *sigh*)

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  14. Exactly this: "Commiserating with a friend and then taking their job is just poor sportsmanship." That kind of thing happened often when I was part of the newspaper world. No loyalty, for sure.

    Great word! Great thoughts! Great reminder! Thank you!

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    1. You see it more and more Lisa and I can't believe people have no conscience or commitment - "me first" seems to win more and more today.

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  15. Totally agree with you Leanne. Another quote that I think suits this situation is, Speak the truth even if your voice shakes.

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    1. That's a good one too Pam (I think it's saved in my Pinterest quotes!) because your values are harder to hold onto when it's tough, but that's when your integrity really comes into play.

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  16. Loyalty! Yes, one of the most important traits in my book. At the end of the day, it's who is loyal to you that matters most. Everything else stems from there! I love quotes too. I'll have to follow your Pinterest boards for sure!

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    1. I'd love you to follow my quotes boards - I have WAY too many of them - I'll be following back if you have a few too (you can never have too many quotes!)

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  17. I have to say that being trustworthy is one of the most important trait you can have in my opinion.

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  18. I agree. I walked away from a long-standing friendship over constant self-promotion and betraying the trust of a confidentiality.

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