There are very few things in this world that I can actually say that I hate, but one of the things that I do hate, probably the most, has to be the aspect of loyalty. Now don't go biting my head off, saying "Oh, that guys's a total scumbag, he doesn't like being loyal to people," or "Dating and keeping friends must be a problem for you if you don't like to commit." I don't mean it like that. The kind of loyalty I'm talking about is the kind that's there, but not really, the kind that's expected, but so frequently pulled away that you start to wonder if it was even there to begin with. That's the sort of thing I can't stand; falsely advertised loyalty.

You think you know someone really well, how kind they are, how they'll always have your back, but then as time goes by, their true nature comes out, they throw you under the bus whenever it's convenient for them, and you start to realize just how toxic that person is and that the only thing you ever were to them was a means to an end. When questioned, they try to justify their actions by comparing them to ones that you, or someone else, might have done in the past in an attempt to guilt you into submission, or simply act like what you said really hurt them and try to get pity from surrounding people. And after a while, you realize your opinion never mattered to this person, that you never mattered, and are basically just another number in their eyes. Which leads me to the second thing I absolutely hate: fake people.

Fake loyalty and fake people go hand in hand for, well, obvious reasons, and you'd be surprised by how many like that are out there today. messing with people emotionally, thinking they can get away with it because of the "loyalty" that's apparently shared between them. They base almost all of their actions and opinions on personal bias and become unruly when no one else agrees with them. What's worse about them is that they're usually never alone. Fake people can be as mean as they want, but it won't ever matter unless there's someone else backing them up. That's how they operate, usually. Somewhere, there's always that one friend that's always there to stick by them no matter what, no matter how wrong they are, and team up against you, shoving you back into the hole they feel you belong.

I've been around people like this for a good amount of my life, still am to an extent, and all I can really say is that I feel sorry for people like this.They're so insecure about themselves, that the only way they can feel satisfaction is when they bring someone else down. They use loyalty as a way of weaseling out of arguments, like it's just some "get out of jail free" card that they can pull out at any time. Don't let them, and if you can help it, don't even let people like that into your lives. All they'll do is make things harder for you.

Sorry about all of that. I realized halfway through that this was turning into more of a rant than what I usually post, but this is something I'm passionate about and I just wanted to touch base with you all on this kind of topic. This is a real issue that applies to more than simple high school to young adult drama. It's out there in the real world too, they're out there, it's just in a different form. Look at the way issues are handled, the way people respond with hostility when their views are questioned, what happens right after someone is killed, or when a politician makes a promise. It's a lot more than a small issue, guys, so be very careful about who you're around and what you decide to listen to.

In any case, I hope that what I've said has cleared things up a bit for all of you--if not, I'm sorry, I tried, at least. It isn't loyalty that I hate, it's the way it's used by certain people.