DEAD LOYALTY

LONGLOYALTYIS

LIVE

Long before there was loyalty to the king,there was true loyalty, we just didn’t know it.

BY NICK PARTRIDGE

THE VALUE OF HUMAN LOYALTYSeptember 2010

M Even as society evolved, it retained this contami-nated version of misplaced, unconditional loyalty. This allegiance to the king evolved into loyalty to employer, unquestioning devotion to brand, and unwavering allegiance to country. Faux-alty sat eclipsing the more authentic sort, True Loyalty.

or demanded like Faux-alty. Rather than being forced to offer up a less than genuine loyalty to those in power, we now validate our loyalty ac-tively. True Loyalty is a living devotion confirmed by actions rather than declarations. We live natu-rally, being made aware of our loyalty habits and behaviors. We leave a trail of meta-loyalty behind us, acting as a consistent prompt for evaluation.

Man’s first version of loyalty was law: loyalty to the king and coun-try. Loyalty was definitive, and without question or dimension. The king died, a new king was crowned, and the subjects’ loyal-ty was easily transferred without question. It wasn’t loyalty, it was Faux-alty. and it has muddled the concept of loyalty from the start.

Today, True Loyalty has evolving definitions and dimensions. True Loyalty is harder to earn, is spent frugally, and is accepted with caution. There are four major vectors shaping True Loyalty today. We are more skeptical, have more opportu-nities for evaluation, are more aware of the options for our loyalty dollars, and are more sensitive to a fuller spectrum of loyalty. Could this shift even-tually banish Faux-alty for good and make True Loyalty the norm?

Today’s loyalty is (at least) a two-way street.The facade that once insulated Faux-alty has been torn down. For one thing, there are less pats on the back for those who practice lifelong, unconditional loyalty. Today’s loyalty is given by choice, not coerced

The king died, a new king was crowned and loyalty was transfered. It was faux loyalty, Faux-alty.

NICK PARTRIDGE Designer, Innovator, Integratornickrpartridge@gmail.comwww.ronyzhireme.wordpress.com

More Skeptical

Born in Chicago, raised in Denver, matriculat-ed to Ohio, residing in Boston. 13 apartments, 8 cell phones, and 6 laptops in 9 years. This is an all-too-common story. We are a temporary, tran-sient culture. We have more mini-lives, more sub-careers. Cycle times are more frequent, which incites constant evaluation. Seth Godin charac-terizes loyalty as when one refuses a momentarily better option. In the past, that “moment” likely oc-curred once a year (or decade). Today that evalu-ative moment occurs on a daily or hourly basis.

More Evaluative

With more information, comes more knowledge and knowledgeable decisions. There are more op-tions (for products, persons, organizations), and more people know about them. For those in compe-tition for loyalty that make it through the intense vetting process, the prize is a potent True Loyalty.

More Aware

Knowing that people are more apt to ques-tion, questioning more frequently, and more aware of their options, how can loyalty thrive? Practice True Loyalty. It is just that simple. Monarchs may have coined the term loyalty. But the people invented it.

Demand less, Give more

Prepared for:

Loyalty today is dimensional. The authoritative Faux-alty, once enforced by monarchs, defined the scale as having two states, loyal and disloyal. Now that loyalty is more of an equal give-and-take, we are more engaged. And by being more engaged, we are now able to recognize that strength, legitima-cy, attitude and intensity can all affect our loyalty.

More Sensitive

By uncovering the further dimensions of loyal-ty, we undertand that the loyalties we keep aren’t always rational. Emotions, in equal partnership with logical thinking, shape our loyalty habits.

THE VALUE OF HUMAN LOYALTYSeptember 2010

LOYALTY SHIFT

More SkepticalToday’s loyalty is (at least) a two way street. The fa-cade that once insulated Faux-alty has been torn down.

More EvaluativeWe have more mini-lives, more subcareers. Cycle times are more frequent, which incites evaluation.

More AwareWith more information, comes more knowledge and knowledgeable decisions.

From Faux-alty to True Loyalty.

More SensitiveLoyalty today is more of an equal give-and-take; we are more engaged and more sensitive.

Gone are the days of fruitfulfarming in Faux-alty. The land of True Loyalty is where fertile soil lies.