Birds of a feather flock together; and so with men—like to like.
—The Talmud Sacred Text of the Jewish Faith
Loyalty is a feature in a boy’s character that inspires boundless hope.
—Robert Baden-Powell, 1st Baron Baden-Powell (1857–1941) English Soldier, Founder of the Boy Scouts
The strength of a family, like the strength of an army, is in its loyalty to each other.
—Mario Puzo (1920–99) Novelist, Screenwriter, Journalist
We are all in the same boat in a stormy sea, and we owe each other a terrible loyalty.
—G. K. Chesterton (1874–1936) English Journalist, Novelist, Essayist, Poet
The mass of men serve the state thus, not as men mainly, but as machines, with their bodies. They are the standing army, and the militia, jailers, constables, posse comitatus, etc. In most cases there is no free exercise whatever of the judgment or of the moral sense; but they put themselves on a level with wood and earth and stones; and wooden men can perhaps be manufactured that will serve the purpose as well. Such command no more respect than men of straw or a lump of dirt. They have the same sort of worth only as horses and dogs. Yet such as these even are commonly esteemed good citizens. Others
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–62) American Philosopher
Once the good man was dead, one wore his hat and another his sword as he had worn them, a third had himself barbered as he had, a fourth walked as he did, but the honest man that he was—nobody any longer wanted to be that.
—Georg Christoph Lichtenberg (1742–99) German Philosopher, Physicist
Leadership is a two-way street, loyalty up and loyalty down. Respect for one’s superiors; care for one’s crew.
—Grace Hopper (1906–92) American Naval Officer, Mathematician
Loyalty means nothing unless it has at its heart the absolute principle of self-sacrifice.
—Woodrow Wilson (1856–1924) American Head of State
Fidelity purchased with money, money can destroy.
—Seneca the Younger (Lucius Annaeus Seneca) (c.4 BCE–65 CE) Roman Stoic Philosopher, Statesman, Tragedian
Total loyalty is possible only when fidelity is emptied of all concrete content, from which changes of mind might naturally arise.
—Hannah Arendt (1906–75) German-American Philosopher, Political Theorist
It is all right to rat, but you can’t re-rat.
—Winston Churchill (1874–1965) British Head of State, Political leader, Historian, Journalist, Author
A jack of both sides, is before long, trusted by nobody, and abused by both parties.
—Common Proverb
People who love only once in their lives are shallow people. What they call their loyalty, and their fidelity, I call either the lethargy of custom or their lack of imagination. Faithfulness is to the emotional life what consistency is to the life of the intellect—simply a confession of failures.
—Oscar Wilde (1854–1900) Irish Poet, Playwright
No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other, or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other.
—The Holy Bible Scripture in the Christian Faith
Disciples be damned. It’s not interesting. It’s only the masters that matter. Those who create.
—Pablo Picasso (1881–1973) Spanish Painter, Sculptor, Artist
Wherever there is a grain of loyalty there is a glimpse of freedom.
—Algernon Charles Swinburne (1837–1909) English Poet, Novelist
If you work for a man, in heavens name work for him!If he pays you wages that supply you your bread and butter, work for himspeak well of him, think well of him, stand by him and stand by the institution he represents. I think if I worked for a man I would work for him. I would not work for him a part of the time, and the rest of the time work against him. I would give an undivided service or none. If put to the pinch, an ounce of loyalty is worth a pound of cleverness.
—Elbert Hubbard (1856–1915) American Writer, Publisher, Artist, Philosopher
It is difficult to discriminate the voice of truth from amid the clamor raised by heated partisans.
—Friedrich Schiller (1759–1805) German Poet, Dramatist
Loyalty is still the same,
Whether it win or lose the game;
True as a dial to the sun,
Although it be not shined upon.
—Samuel Butler
Histories are more full of examples of the fidelity of dogs than of friends.
—Alexander Pope (1688–1744) English Poet
Every great man nowadays has his disciples, and it is always Judas who writes the biography.
—Oscar Wilde (1854–1900) Irish Poet, Playwright
It is better to be faithful than famous.
—Theodore Roosevelt (1858–1919) American Head of State, Political leader, Historian, Explorer
The game is my wife. It demands loyalty and responsibility, and it gives me back fulfillment and peace.
—Michael Jordan (b.1963) American Sportsperson, Businessperson
Had I but served my God with half the zeal
I served my king, he would not in mine age
Have left me naked to mine enemies.
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616) British Playwright
If you are not too long, I will wait here for you all my life.
—Oscar Wilde (1854–1900) Irish Poet, Playwright
We are the local embodiment of a Cosmos grown to self-awareness. We have begun to contemplate our origins: starstuff pondering the stars; organized assemblages of ten billion billion billion atoms considering the evolution of atoms; tracing the long journey by which, here at least, consciousness arose. Our loyalties are to the species and the planet. We speak for Earth. Our obligation to survive is owed not just to ourselves but also to that Cosmos, ancient and vast, from which we spring.
—Carl Sagan (1934–96) American Astronomer
Lack of loyalty is one of the major causes of failure in every walk of life
—Napoleon Hill (1883–1970) American Author, Journalist, Attorney, Lecturer
And I, Mr. Knightley, am equally stout in my confidence of its not doing them any harm. With all dear Emma’s little faults, she is an excellent creature. Where shall we see a better daughter, or a kinder sister, or a truer friend? No, no; she has qualities which may be trusted; she will never lead any one really wrong; she will make no lasting blunder; where Emma errs once, she is in the right a hundred times.
—Jane Austen (1775–1817) English Novelist
I’ll take fifty percent efficiency to get one hundred percent loyalty.
—Samuel Goldwyn (1879–1974) Polish-born American Film Producer, Businessperson
In treat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God.
—The Holy Bible Scripture in the Christian Faith
Unless you can find some sort of loyalty, you cannot find unity and peace in your active living.
—Josiah Royce (1855–1916) American Idealist Philosopher
The scholar does not consider gold and jade to be precious treasures, but loyalty and good faith.
—Confucius (551–479 BCE) Chinese Philosopher
I am not bound over to swear allegiance to any master; where the storm drives me I turn in for shelter.
—Horace (Quintus Horatius Flaccus) (65–8 BCE) Roman Poet
Always laugh heartily at the jokes your boss tells, it maybe a loyalty test.
—Unknown
They talk of a man betraying his country, his friends, his sweetheart. There must be a moral bond first. All a man can betray is his conscience…
—Joseph Conrad (1857–1924) Polish-born British Novelist
Loyalty to petrified opinion never yet broke a chain or freed a human soul.
—Mark Twain (1835–1910) American Humorist
I hate the idea of causes, and if I had to choose between betraying my country and betraying my friend, I hope I should have the guts to betray my country.
—E. M. Forster (1879–1970) English Novelist, Short Story Writer, Essayist
No more duty can be urged upon those who are entering the great theater of life than simple loyalty to their best convictions.
—Edwin Hubbell Chapin (1814–80) American Preacher, Poet
My kind of loyalty was loyalty to one’s country, not to its institutions or its office-holders.
—Mark Twain (1835–1910) American Humorist