The Phenomenon of Loyalty - Essay Example

Introduction Psychology of human behavior and social interaction are greatly influenced by values and traits possessed by human beings. Several philosophers and social scientists believe that values imbibed by man are critical factors that fundamentally guide their actions and reaction in real life. It would follow that the behavior of man is intrinsically linked to his/her value system and the environment. While the socio cultural and religious guidelines broadly determine the parameters of one’s way of living, the personal values become the important elements of decision making in social interaction. Indeed, the traits and attributes exhibited by man corroborate those values and principles. Thus, human traits like honesty, integrity, commitment, loyalty etc. become highly pertinent issue within human relationships (Rokeach, 1968). The paper would, therefore, be discussing loyalty as human trait and its widespread influence in relationship building. What is loyalty? Loyalty can be defined as commitment to a cause, person, nation or ideology that constantly seeks to strengthen belief in the object reality of the defined paradigms. While some Individuals inherently exhibit this trait in their behavior, others tend to cultivate the trait to improve one’s relations. It is a major part of inter personal relationship which not only requires innate sensitivity but also strives to earn confidentiality and trust of individuals and groups to which one belongs within the social setup. Most importantly, it prompts and encourages individuals to continuously make every effort to be sincere in his/her endeavors. Moreover, the implicit and explicit characteristics of the trait have a propensity to motivate individuals to improve and improvise their behavior in order to gain trust. Loyalty as moral determinant of social interaction History is witness to fact that loyalty has long since been cherished as one of the most important human trait that has huge ramifications within and outside one’s life. It is considered as vital facet of relationship building that strengthens personal and professional bonding. Leaders build strong relationships with their followers which are based on loyalty and belief in the causes that they espouse. People in general are loyal and committed to causes and to each other which highlights mutual respect and bonhomie. Loyalty as integral part of patriotism, Patriotism and sense of nationalism are greatly facilitated by loyal sentiments and encourage people to promote their goods and services for the wider welfare of their society and nation. Loyalty towards one’s nation and people also enhances one’s core identity and reinstates one’s socio-cultural uniqueness. Interestingly, national movements and loyalty to one’s nation have also remained the key ingredients of freedom movements across nations who have been oppressed by foreign power. The Indian National Movement, Argentinean Movement for freedom from colonial rulers etc. have been distinct in their strong sense of commitment to their main objective of freedom. Animals’ loyalty towards their master Animals like dogs and horses are renowned for their loyalty towards man. It is the purest form of animal trait that defies any polluting thoughts. It would be absolutely right to state that dog is the best friend of man. There are so many instances of dog saving his master. In Bar Boston, a small Canadian town, Angel, a dog saved his 11 years old master, Austin from the attack of cougar (Celizic, 2010). The story of Hachiko, the Japanese dog that remained loyal to his master, much after his master’s death still brings tear the eyes. Friendship and loyalty Friends and true friendship endorse loyalty as intrinsic part of relationship. It is cherished because friends share their deepest thoughts and confidential information and rely in the trust and innate sense of loyalty within their friendship. Consequently, friends become the major anchor in difficult times giving their support without any questions or biases. But finding true friends is not easy. But betrayal between friends is also not uncommon! Let us also not forget that Caesar was also betrayed by his loyal friend Brutus and killed to gain access to the throne. Though he never became a great King but he went down into the annals of history as betrayer of great King Caesar! But it is equally true that today, professional colleagues, associates and acquaintances, all get tagged as friends which make it difficult to identity true friends. As such, people get betrayed for small monetary benefits or even as acts of vengeance to demean them in front of others. The evolving technology has hugely facilitated people to gain new acquaintances and so called friends across social network. The casual friends developed through common platforms of social network often work on new value system that is neither loyal to one’s ‘friend’ or to the cause. The main reason is that transforming technology helps exploit new opportunities and its dynamic nature is inclined to favor new causes and new friends with more radical ideas! Why loyalty has become suspect? In the current times, gaining loyalty of followers is deemed as a common trait of politicians who tend to betray the trust of the masses once they are elected. As a matter of fact, loyalty has acquired negative connotations when it is associated with politicians and leaders with vested interests. Cohorts exhibiting loyalty to their leaders are best awarded with lucrative political and official posts. In the guise of loyalty, sycophants try to remain in the good books of their leaders by supporting their ideologies or plans, irrespective of the fact whether they are good or bad. Honesty, integrity and commitment to the cause are increasingly replaced by loyalty to individuals or leaders which is seen as key ingredient to gain power. Brand loyalty as key business strategy Brand loyalty has evolved as major business strategy to retain and develop database of committed clientele (Kottler & Keller, 2009). Business and market strategies have become more people centric and are predisposed to cater to the changing demands of the people. The brand creation and brand loyalty are developed through quality products and exemplary customer service. People become committed to the brands because they are assured of quality both in products and customer service. Conclusion In the transforming value system, the various traits within human behavior have undergone tremendous changes but the basic concept of honesty, integrity and loyalty has retained its importance. Loyalty not only builds personal bonds between individuals but it also strengthens group identity and gives credibility to business. Indeed, individuals who are endowed with this trait develop successful relationship and are surrounded with people who can be relied on difficult times. It should therefore be cultivated within all relationship in social interaction. (words: 1088) Reference Celizic, Mike. Hero Dog saves by, 11, from cougar attack, 5 January 2010. http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/34701355/ns/today-good_news/t/hero-dog-saves-boy-cougar-attack/#.T1R5xfE0VPw. 5 March, 2012. Kotler, Philips and Keller, Kevin Lane. Marketing Management. NY: Prentice Hall, 2009. Rokeach, Milton. Beliefs, Attitudes and Values: a theory of organization and change. Michigan: Jossey-Bass Inc Pub., 1968. Read More