August 2024 Newsletter Where Do Your Loyalties Lie? |
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In August, Restoration Matters recognizes and celebrates the virtue of Loyalty! Summer break soon ends, and our attention shifts toward work and study. Election season noise occupies more of the airwaves, and loyalties are questioned. Who is trustworthy? Who is working for my benefit and the good of all? Friendships are strengthened by loyalty or stretched due to disloyalty. The Summer Olympics are underway in Paris, and athletes compete as an extension of national pride and cultural achievement. Teamwork is on full display in different types of sports, traditional and new. The climate continues to change, and scientific research continues to reveal the impact of humanity on the earth. |
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A person practicing virtuous loyalty is responsible and reliable with or without assistance, generous with time and talent by choice, and stays approachable without being boastful or proud. A loyal person is self-aware and open to others. They appreciate nature without the intent to exploit the natural resources for personal gain. Justice is a closely associated virtue with loyalty because the power from people bonding in loyalty can become a force for justice or injustice. Fairness is also closely associated with loyalty and connects the virtuous practice of justice and loyalty. “Loyalty connotes an unwavering commitment, a bond of trust-whether in friendship or in fidelity to a group, its principles and cause.” – Peterson/Seligman, Character Strengths and Virtues. |
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Questions for a Circle of Loyalty... Read the definition above to your group and ask some or all of these questions: Blind Loyalty is Bad Loyalty In the practice of virtue, too much and too little are equally detrimental. A lack of loyalty stems from paranoia and distrust of the Institutional power and people in control of the immediate environment. The individual may feel that people and the government are unworthy of trust and loyalty. Too much loyalty, or blind loyalty, can coax individuals and large groups of individuals to operate as a violent force against others in the practice of the group ideology. Blindly following a person or a cause first dehumanizes the person following others without awareness, reducing them to the product of their actions. Secondly, it dehumanizes the “others” outside the group by reducing them to an obstacle, decreasing their perceived humanity with the end goal of punishment and exclusion. Fairness is a virtue that is a close complement to loyalty and an essential element to joining justice and loyalty. Because fairness is the product of moral judgment, considering what is morally fair allows the individual to choose to be loyal to virtuous people and groups. Fairness and the working definition of fairness are found in real-time with the people affected. Fairness conforms to the people and environment as it exists and, therefore, is ever-changing and cannot be predicted in advance. Strength in numbers is a visible sign of loyalty in action. As virtuous loyalty strengthens the group in mind and multitude, the group’s guiding principles must be fair. |
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You can ask your group to look at these quotes and share which one they connect with: “The only way to have a friend is to be one.” —Ralph Waldo Emerson “Loyalty…When I think of it, I wonder if I would rather have it than love. Whereas love is often an over-used word and an unpredictable feeling, the other is nothing but dependability.” —Donna Lynn Hope “The strength of a family, like the strength of an army, is in its loyalty to each other.” —Mario Puzo “Be loyal to those who are not present. In doing so, you build the trust of those who are present.” —Stephen Covey “Loyalty is a continuous phenomenon; you don’t score points for past action.” —Natasha Pulley |
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Comparing and Contrasting Citizenship and Teamwork Citizenship and teamwork are both virtues that are linked to loyalty. “Citizenship, social responsibility, loyalty, and teamwork represent a feeling of identification with a sense of obligation to a common good that includes the self but stretches beyond one’s own self-interest.” (Peterson/Seligman) Citizenship stands out among the other virtues mentioned here because of the legal status implied. Citizenship involves obligations to other members and usually an oath of allegiance. The members accept the specific rights and protections. In turn, the members are expected to ensure the rights and protections of all members. Virtuous loyalty toward a citizen’s homeland or nation is defined as patriotism. Patriotism, which involves hostile thoughts and actions toward citizens of other nations or outsiders, is defined as nationalism. In countries operating under corrupt, non-virtuous governments, nonviolent civil disobedience and protest signify a caring citizen committed to the common good of the people. The virtue of teamwork is understood much earlier in life than virtues and concepts like citizenship and social responsibility. Teamwork shares the goal of collaborating toward a shared benefit (common good) but plays out in a smaller framework than citizenship. Teamwork conforms to the task at hand. Strategies can be short-lived, results are immediate, and speed in performance and thinking is encouraged. The obstacle or the game is static because the obstacle or the rules are defined and known before the action or contest. Citizenship and membership are more long-lasting and benefit from individual effort; at other times, teamwork enhances citizenship. Collaboration is more critical with teamwork than with citizenship. Small teams benefit much more from close collaboration. In contrast, close collaboration amongst citizens can lead to internal factions with contrary ideals. In summary, teamwork is an excellent small-group motivator. At the same time, citizenship is a positive way to promote altruism and loyalty within a large group. |
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Loyalty as it Relates to Voice, Agency, and Belonging Restorative practices, as the science of relationships and ways to improve them in civil society, aim to increase voice, agency (or autonomy), and a sense of belonging (Bailie 2018). In restorative justice, individuals may have restricted or no agency, and feel they are unwelcome. Incarceration is an example of lack of agency. Self-identification and personal identity are meaningful rites of passage in the practice of loyalty. Agency or autonomy allows the person to choose a membership and make informed decisions surrounding levels of support and action within the organization. Virtuous integrity and agency will also help the individual decide if the group or organization has deviated from core principles and purpose, warranting an objection or exit by the individual. Diversity of voice and including members from all backgrounds will strengthen an organization or group. Providing an equal voice to all members will promote bonding and feelings of trust. A socially responsible person knows who they are and what they are about. They can continually self-regulate and self-identify as their relationships and environment change in ways beyond their control. They also understand the people in their local community because they stay connected and active. The concept of loyalty is universal and timeless, but the application of loyalty is local, timely, and interpersonal. Social responsibility is interpersonal local loyalty focused on the future that includes all living people. A person practicing virtuous social responsibility will not be acting not only for their own sake or purely for the sake of others. They will act in our best interest because they identify with “us” with self. The sense of belonging becomes universal as we choose to belong to each other. John Bailie, 2018. A Science of Human Dignity: Belonging, Voice and Agency as Universal Human Needs. IIRP World Conference, Detroit. |
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We Sure Could Use Your Help. Consider Volunteering or Donating Are you musically gifted? Do you have a talent for the arts? Are you well-versed in Theatrical Production? Are you simply a good listener and a diligent worker? Restoration Matters is seeking volunteers to support upcoming projects and fundraising efforts. We are also seeking artwork as a donation (a tax write-off for the contributor) and building block-style toys, new or used. If you believe you can help Restoration Matters with your time, talent, or treasure, please email David@RestorationMatters.org or call/text 636-215-1158. |
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