What is Loyalty?

Loyalty:  

1. A feeling or attitude of devoted attachment and affection
2. A feeling of faithfulness or allegiance

Contemplating on these definitions, how can one be truly loyal? Loyalty has always been a big issue in any relationship, whether friendship, romantic, or business. People have their own definitions of

loyalty, as well with their own portrayals on how it should be. So if loyalty is different to everyone, how can one live up to them all? And how you can expect someone to live up to a standard you yourself does not hold.

Growing up I was known as a "social butterfly," meaning that I just floated to each group/clique. I never really had one of my own. It was a given that some groups did not like each other, with whatever reason they had. I was never in tuned with the "hate by association" thing that seemed to be so popular. I believed in loyalty, yes, but I did not feel that it was necessary to dislike someone simply because my friend did. Some may disagree, and say loyalty means we have the same enemies. 

So in dealing with relationships of the friendship and romantic variety, whats constitutes disloyalty? Cheating, backstabbing, breaking of trust, etc.....sounds about right. But here's a question that I never got an answer to: Can you have two people in your life, who do not care for each other, and be loyal to both? Do you have to choose between the two to be truly loyal? 

The way I always dealt with this situation is simple: when I am with one, we do not speak on the other. How I mean this is: its A-Okay if you do not like my other friend, but you WILL NOT sit there and disrespect them in front of me, we will even even speak about them if you have nothing positive to say. That is how I define my loyalty. No one should feel comfortable blatantly disrespecting someone who you are close to. My Thoughts.

I do feel that some people take the loyalty to the EXTREMES. And this cause strife in certain situations. But all in all, loyalty is important in life, love, and relationships.