Allegiances are taken or pledged everyday, and the merit of an individual or an organization becomes apparent by how the seriousness placed on such a pledge is valued...If allegiance is taken between two friends who agree to walk through a shady park together, then each should be willing to stay alert for danger, share pleasantries and have no ulterior motives which might be detrimental to the other...If one or both act only against danger to self, spot a rare sight without telling the other or have undertaken the walk with intentions other than what was declared, then the alliance between the two loses the strength of allegiance...
Allegiance is sometimes assumed when in fact it does not exist...Admiration by one for another may lead the admirer to assume it is mutual admiration, and that a certain level of loyalty exists between the two...It is important to remember that a person's first allegiance is always to one's self and one's own beliefs...Admiring a certain quality in a person might lead one to assume their beliefs might be shared, and that they might have common goals...
When people talk with an outlook toward a more lasting bond, it should not be taken for granted that both place the same value on integrity...An allegiance is a common loyalty toward each other and to the common goals of all concerned...Even if the interests of the individuals differ from one another, it should be assumed that each will support the other in those interests if no harm is seen...The process involved may take time, and the allegiance should be approached with patience in mind...
Allegiances can differ from others in their level of seriousness, but one level can always lead to another at a higher, or even lower level...As an example, an allegiance to a Higher Being may result in a further allegiance to a particular religious body, such as a church or temple...Allegiance to a church can sometimes dwindle with no reduction in a person's belief in that Higher Being...A person may decide at some point to transfer attendance to a different religious body while maintaining that person's core beliefs...
In such a case, no fault or animosity can be displayed either way because the integrity of all towards allegiance to a Higher Being is still maintained...A person can also choose to worship alone while keeping to the same beliefs...
Allegiances on a more formal level involve a more public declaration and may be seen by others as having a higher degree of value...The two most common are allegiances of loyalty by citizens to a nation, and the fidelity pledged to one another in marriage...Disloyalty in either of these instances can have serious repercussions...
When a person declares loyalty to a nation, whether as a newly minted citizen or in re-affirmation as one born to that country, the strength of each increases at the level of priority taken by both the governed and the government...If the government is led by those whose main interest is in the preservation and advancement of the nation, then all citizens will benefit from its common protection...
If a citizen fulfills a pledge of loyalty to that nation, the strength of that nation is increased another notch...If either nation or citizen fails to uphold that common bond, the integrity of both suffers, and both lose strength...It is therefore to the benefit of both to maintain the promised level of faith...
Similarly, in a marriage between people, whether blessed in a religious ceremony, or vowed in a civil union, a certain trust is undertaken to uphold the aims and needs of each other...If the long term goals and short term interests of each follow a common path, the chances of the marriage's success increases...
If each participant in the union has clearly stated any expectations, and has revealed any conditions which, if unfulfilled would damage the integrity of the marriage, or lessen the happiness of either, the union gains strength by the simple absence of any untold intentions...
If, however, those pledging love and loyalty have kept secret an agenda which may not agree with the other's chosen path, one or both of the participants may suffer when the eventual break occurs...If that occurrence is in the plan of one, and that plan is executed without regard to the other, it can be seen as betrayal...
Each allegiance or alliance deserves the most serious consideration affordable to prevent misunderstanding, or misguided directions from any participant...Whether an allegiance is undertaken at the simple level of an acquaintanceship, or the loftier status of marriage or even loyalty to country, the appropriate thought must be given to the value expected by each...
Allegiance of any kind is always assigned a certain level of importance not only by the allies, but by those observing the alliance...Care should be taken by all as each allegiance will always have an effect on other alliances, but it must be borne in mind that all individuals will and should have first allegiance to themselves as well...
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