People with the most loyalty exhibit these 12 character traits

People with loyalty are one of the most admirable people on the planet.

Whether they’re loyal to themselves, to their friends, family, or partner, or to an idea, their unwavering strength and faith to stay loyal is just a wonder.

If you have a person who’s loyal to you, consider yourself lucky. We could all use someone who believes and stays loyal to us, even in our toughest times.

With all that said, what are the traits of loyal people? What sets them apart from the rest of us? 

If you find yourself asking these questions, well, you’re in luck! 

Below, we’ll discuss how people with the most loyalty exhibit these 12 character traits. 

Let’s dive in!

1) They’re true to their word

There’s no question that loyal people are true to their word. 

This is because honesty is one of the core traits of people with loyalty. In fact, even if it’s something we perceive as a “white lie,” loyal people don’t see any reason to do it. As much as possible, they will never lie to the people they love. 

Part of the reason why is because they know how much it hurts to be lied to, which is why they never do it to others. They have a principle not to break promises because they love too much to let their people down.

Even if these promises are as simple as promising to call a certain time, being on time on dates, never bailing when plans are set, no promise is too small for them to warrant being broken.

Lying or breaking promises is a betrayal of a loyal person’s principles, and that’s why they always choose not to do it. 

2) They stick to their values

A loyal person is not just loyal to themselves or their loved ones—they’re also loyal to their values. This is because they have a strong personal integrity.

A loyal person’s principles are not bendable, although these principles vary from person to person.

In other words, if a certain choice does not align with a loyal person’s morals, there’s very little chance that they’ll choose to do it. Even the prospect of doing something that goes against their values makes them feel uneasy.

For example, if a loyal person believes in sacrificing one for the good of many, they will always choose to do that, even if that one person is someone they love.

On the other hand, if another loyal person is loyal to their loved ones, they will do everything in their power to protect them. If they come upon the choice of saving a loved one or saving many random strangers, they will always choose to save the former.

Some people might find these choices morally questionable, and it’s why loyal people are often believed to be loyal to a fault. Often, though, their passion for sticking to these values makes them fiercely protective.

3) They’re fiercely protective

If a person is loyal to you, they will also be protective of you. They will defend your name when you’re being gossiped about, even when you’re not around. 

If someone insults you, even if you don’t want to bite, they will be the one who will bite back for you. They might even get offended on your behalf, because it will hurt them to see you get hurt. 

They don’t like when their loved ones get hurt, and it’s what drives them to be protective.

Imagine a mama lion with her newborn cubs—that’s how loyal people are with their loved ones.

But why are they so protective of the people they love?

This is because that’s how loyal people show their love for you. They don’t tolerate people who make fun of the people they love, who speak ill of their friends. It’s also partly what makes them so reliable. 

4) They’re reliable

Your loyal friend is probably the most reliable person in your life. 

When they say they are there for you anytime you need them, you can count on it. When they say they’re just a call or message away should you ever have a hard time, they mean it with their whole heart.

If you’re having a hard time and you need them, they will drop everything to be with you.

They will bring you tissues for when you cry and your favorite comfort snacks because they know you crave them when you’re sad. 

I truly believe we all need a loyal friend in our lives, because they’re the ones you could run to whenever you need them. Whether you’re celebrating an achievement or grieving a loss, they’ll be there, supporting you through the ups and downs. 

5) They’re supportive

A loyal person will be there for you not just when you’re happy, but also when you’re sad because they support you through all the ups and downs you will experience. 

If you have a big dream and everyone else tells you it’s impossible, ridiculous, and you’re stupid for even thinking it, your loyal friend will be the voice that pushes you to go after this “ridiculous” dream.

Even if you think it’s stupid, they will have you believe otherwise. Even when you stumble and fall, they’ll be there ready to help you up.

When the world laughs at your failures, they’d be there to cry with you. When you achieve your dreams, many might praise you, but they’d still be your biggest fan.

However, it goes without saying that no matter how much they love you, a loyal person will never invade your privacy.

6) They respect your boundaries

It can often be difficult to differentiate a loyal person from a devotee, but one of the most significant things that set them apart is that loyal people will always respect your boundaries.

Obsessed devotees will stalk you, invade your privacy, and do bad things on your behalf all while believing they’re doing it for your own good.

On the other hand, loyal people will respect your nos, will stop when you tell them to, and will give you the space you need when you ask them.

They respect your boundaries because even if they have so much love for you, they’re not obsessed with you.

For a loyal person, loving someone means respecting their individual choices, even if it drives them away from you. They don’t love with conditions, because it’s inherent in them to love people unconditionally. 

7) They love unconditionally

Skeptics don’t believe in unconditional love.

They believe that it only exists in movies, books, maybe love songs, but not in real life. I used to be one of those skeptics until I met friends who will go to the ends of the earth for me, and to whom I will do the same.

When I met these people, I realized that unconditional love exists, and it’s usually loyal people who can give them. 

Loyal people are probably told that they love “to a fault” because of their capability to love without conditions, but I don’t think it’s a flaw. 

I think it’s a beautiful thing to know that there are people out there in the world that could love you without you having to bargain parts of yourself. 

But if you’re still skeptical, I’d like you to think of a person who has a cat. Even if the cat scratches them, bites them, or runs away from them sometimes, they will still love the cat. 

The cat doesn’t always have to be clingy to be loved. It doesn’t have to sleep next to its owner for the owner to love them. Even if they get hurt with bites and scratches, even if it destroys their things, their owner will never not look at them lovingly. 

This is the same for loyal people who love unconditionally. You don’t have to fit a certain mold for them to love you. Other people might abandon you when they see your flaws, but they will always love you for who you are, warts and all.

However, if there’s one thing they can’t tolerate, it’s lying and liars.

8) They dislike liars

As I’ve previously mentioned, honesty is one of the most important traits that make a loyal person. 

Loyal people don’t like being lied to, and appreciate when people tell the truth even if it hurts them.

They always tell the truth, even if it’s hard, which is why they hate when someone is dishonest.

They don’t see the point of white lies. Why lie when eventually, the truth will come out anyway? 

For them, telling the truth is easier than constantly having to make up stories so you can keep lying.

So if you have a loyal friend, don’t take them for granted by lying to them if it makes your life convenient. They value honesty not just in themselves, but also from the people around them.

Just because a loyal person loves you doesn’t give you the right to be dishonest with them, because they won’t tolerate your dishonesty.

9) They make you a priority

If you have a loyal person in your life, know that they probably include you in almost every part of their life.

They consider your feelings when they make decisions that involve you, especially when you’re in a relationship with them. They will always think twice about their actions because they always take your feelings into consideration.

A loyal person makes you a priority by being there for you when you need them, no matter what.

If, for example, you’re heartbroken and need a friend, a loyal friend is someone you can count on. Whatever you want to do, they’ll be up for it. Want to sit on the roof and aimlessly look at the sky as you get drunk? They’re the person to call.

This is because loyal people make their loved ones a priority, which means they’ll always try their best to make themselves available when you need them.

They understand that relationships, whether romantic or platonic, are a commitment, and that means being there for someone when they need you.

10) They’re not afraid of commitment

A lot of us are scared of commitment, and it’s understandable. 

It is scary to invest so much of your time and energy into something that could possibly fail or bite you back in the ass.

And this is what sets loyal people apart, because they’re not afraid of commitment. When a loyal person has their faith in you, they won’t think twice about committing. 

This is why they commit to relationships, even if they’ve been badly hurt in the past. It doesn’t mean they’re ignorant of the consequences because they understand completely what a commitment entails. They still do it because they do it out of love.

It’s not just romantic relationships, either. They’re not afraid of committing in all aspects of their life, whether that’s in their family, friendships, business ventures, or even personal hobbies. 

It’s easy for loyal people to commit because for them, love comes first before fear. Even if they are a little afraid, it’s love that wins in their heart, always.

11) They celebrate your successes…

In our world, it’s so easy to be jealous of other’s successes. To feel like you deserve the same, but have no resources to have it, which makes us resentful. 

What sets loyal people apart is how they will always celebrate your successes with you without the slightest hint of jealousy. When they see you succeed, all they will feel is pure joy to see a loved one do what they’ve always dreamed of doing.

When you reach your dreams, they’ll be your number one fan. When you reach the top, they’ll be there at the front row, the loudest person cheering you on.

It gives them joy to see you succeed because they’ve always believed in you. It makes them proud to see their friends achieve success, whether this success is big or small. 

Even if it’s as simple as getting out of bed when you’re depressed or as big as overcoming depression itself, they’ll be there, cheering you on. 

And what makes them even more loyal is the fact that they’ll always be there for you, even when you fail.

12) …but stand by you through your failures

Failure is part of human life. A lot of us take it hard, because it does hurt to see yourself fail. 

When you fail, you’ll see so many people leaving you behind because they can’t share in the glory anymore. People saying “I’ve always known you couldn’t make it,” when you stumble upon a dent in the road. 

It’s why we often find it difficult to differentiate between failing and being a failure.

You know who pulls you out of rock bottom when you fail? Your loyal friends. 

Even if you fail, they will keep believing in you and cheering you on. You can beat yourself up over and over again for all the things you could’ve done, but they will never tell you you’re stupid. Instead, they will console you and encourage you to try again.

This is because their perception of you will never change depending on your failures and successes. For them, you’re more than your victories and defeats. 

They see you as a person, not a machine, not a dehumanized figure put upon a pedestal. And they will always love the person they see in you.

Loyal people have so much love in their heart that enables them to look past all the glory and praise that come with success and all the insults and hate that come with failure. 

They’re able to filter through all of it and just pay attention to how much they love and support you. It’s what makes a loyal person truly special.