In my opinion, loyalty is among the most important characteristics that a person can possess. Also, despite so many people’s call to the contrary, you should judge people. You should judge all people that cross your path. To not judge them is reckless and setting yourself up for some potentially disastrous, painful episodes in your life.

It’s hard to judge a persons true loyalty under normal everyday circumstances. Loyalty comes into play when hard times strike. When your back is against the wall, who is truly there for you? When you have absolutely nothing left, who shares what they have with you? Who is willing to sacrifice their own comfort for your sake? I’ve found that true loyalty is disappointingly rare.

Over the years, there have been a few people in my life that were able to very easily flip the off switch on me, and apparently not look back. It’s always surprising and it’s pretty hurtful. But hey, whatcha gonna do? It seems like the folks on that incredibly short list of truly loyal people should get most of my attention and effort. Right?