Loyalty vs Commitment
The confusion and dilemma between the words loyalty and commitment has led to frictions, hatred, and even big fights between individuals. According to dictionary definitions, commitment means making a promise to someone or agreeing to do something, then fulfilling it. It can also refer to the willingness to put your soul and work hard towards a job or achieving something. On the other hand, loyalty means faithfulness to an individual, a company, or a cause. One can be committed and loyal to a job, but the situation becomes tricky when one is committed to someone but has divided loyalties. Let’s examine this further.
Key Takeaways
- Commitment means making a promise or agreeing to do something and fulfilling it, while loyalty means faithfulness to an individual, company, or cause.
- One can be committed and loyal to a job, but problems arise when commitment and loyalty diverge in personal relationships.
- In business and friendship, commitment and loyalty hold great significance, as they lead to trust and long-lasting relationships.
We can make a promise to an individual, for example, our spouse, to remain committed, but loyalty is a feeling that comes from within and has nothing to do with our words of promise. As long as there is a feeling of loyalty towards what we have committed ourselves to, there is no friction inside, and a person does not feel torn apart. However, problems begin as soon as there are differences between commitment and loyalty. There are individuals who say they are committed to their wives but are not loyal in private, leading to suspicion, quarrels, and even divorces.
Abraham Lincoln, the President of the United States, was a perfect example of commitment. At the age of 9, he promised his ailing mother never to touch alcohol and tobacco in his life, and he never in his life consumed either alcohol or cigarettes. He could have rationalized his promise since his mother was no more later in his life, but he was faithful to the promise he made, and you can see what he achieved in life.
In business, commitment and loyalty are two very important words. If you are faithful to the promises you make to your suppliers and pay them on time, you earn a reputation as a good businessman. Similarly, if you expect to have loyal customers for your products or services, you have to give them quality, time after time.
In real life, at the altar, men and women make promises to each other to remain faithful till death, but they are not able to stick to their promises. This happens when there is a tussle between commitment and loyalty.
In friendship, commitment and loyalty hold great significance. If you have a friend who is committed and loyal to you, he will never cheat on you, and you can enjoy the fruits of a lifelong relationship with him.
In modern times, both these words have become a bit diluted because of false commitments and weak loyalties. But there is a lot to learn from great men and women from the past who kept their word even when they faced hardships. There are also great examples of unflinching loyalty that found their way into history books.
In summary, commitment refers to making a promise or agreeing to do something, while loyalty refers to faithful adherence to one’s promise or being faithful to someone. The two words may appear to have similar meanings, but they are used separately and in different contexts. Loyalty is considered a more stressful word than commitment.
