"There are positive and negative consequences for being too loyal."

English Essay for Julius Caesar Act I

Are you loyal to any person, place, or thing? Being loyal is a good thing and it shouldn't be taken for granted. But sometimes when a person is too loyal there are positive and negative effects that can affect you in good or bad ways that can occur.

Being loyal. Most people think of it as being loyal to a friend, or to an activity that they love and want to pursue. Sometimes being loyal doesn't always imply other people, although most of the time it does. People are loyal to their promises and commitments, to usually, other people, but sometimes keeping your word to yourself is also a good thing to be loyal to. Being loyal to groups like clubs is also important because you have work and responsibilities within the group. I am loyal to my air cadet squadron. I know I am because I take pride in what I do there, and take everything seriously and finish things on time. Many positive things can come out of being loyal.

Loyalty can result in many things including becoming trustworthy, more responsibilities given, and you just feel like you are a better person in general. These are only some of the things that you may feel as “the positives” of being loyal. There are many more that revolve around these main few. Being more trustworthy makes a person also become dependable and they are relied on more. Confidence can be gained from being loyal because you know you are a responsible, reliable, and trustworthy person. When you are given more responsibilities in a group that you are loyal to you feel like you are more valued within the group and you feel like you’ve gained status within the group. This happens in air cadets as well. When you are loyal, and go to all the parades every week, you gain ranks, and with every rank you gain, you get more responsibilities. These are things that come out of loyalty. Although there are many positive things that come out of being excessively loyal, the negative consequences will still have the possibility of being there.

What negative consequences are there for being too loyal? I believe that the main negative consequences are that the other persons or group you are loyal to can become too powerful. Also because of this, you become a follower, instead of a leader. When one person becomes too powerful, they think less of your loyalty to them and because of that they take advantage of you. Another negative consequence is that the other party will become annoyed by your loyalty and doting, or that they may feel suspicious of why you are so loyal, and believe that you are after their power, possessions, or status. These are what I believe to be the main negative consequences of being too loyal. Others include missing out on other activities because you are too involved with the activity you are loyal to, or that you can feel left out if everyone else is, for example, drinking bubble tea, while you promised your best friend you wouldn't.

Loyalty shouldn't be taken over the limit. If you are too loyal, although you feel like a better person for always being there for your friend, or for taking your responsibilities seriously for your group, you could be used and taken advantage of if you are not careful. Loyalty should be done in moderation, where it won’t hurt you, or other people.