At its fundamental root, the idea of freedom is about having an abundance of choices and being able to choose which one best serves our interests. It is a very simple concept, but it is also an idea that many have fought and died for and it is always fleeting. Many have also traveled great distances, in some cases uprooting their entire families, in search of a location that affords them the right to be able to reason and choose. This is all that supporters of freedom really want; the ability to reason and choose for themselves.
Is it me, or does it feel like we are entering a new era of freedom? Maybe I am just late in realizing this, or too early, but it seems to be all around us. We have a greater capacity to communicate freely and share ideas than we ever have before, we have more choices in which currency to adhere to, and we even have new ways to make a living, which provides us with more of an opportunity to spend more time doing things that we actually enjoy.
This brings me to my question: is loyalty dead? Nietzsche famously said, “God is dead.” He made this argument because he felt that a new era was near; one of a new morality which flowed from a new and different source. It is possible that our new found freedoms are making it more difficult to remain loyal, and this new paradigm may soon be amongst us.
If freedom consists of an abundance of choices and opportunities and our consent is reserved for that choice or opportunity that best adheres to our interests, and if we are entering a new era that consists of widespread freedom, then it seems logical that we will find it harder to remain loyal to those things we consent to today or tomorrow. We will become enamored with what is next. We will become enamored with that new product the world has borne and that which freedom has made possible that it become mine.
What do you think? Is loyalty dead?
All comments welcome.
So long as there is trust there will always be loyalty. If ones trust is broken then loyalty to that person or thing will no longer exist. You trust a certain brand not because it can do a certain thing better, it is because you trust it will do you no harm. You trust a certain person because you know he will have your back.
When it comes to brand loyalty, I think it should be thing of the past. Most alternative product will do the same thing but at a fraction of the cost then why would you want to continue with that brand when it only want your money. Sometimes it is just a habit and you need only to break free.
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I agree that trust is a big part of loyalty. Consider this: it is much easier to trust something/ someone if you do not have many options to choose from. This is where freedom plays a role, because with freedom we now have an abundance of options and choices, so our loyalty is tested more so than perhaps ever before. When there is no freedom, then there are no choices then it's much easier to be loyal. Let's look at a country like Venezuela. citizens of that country have little freedom, few choices, so of course they will be loyal to certain products/people. But you are correct, there are instances when people, even when presented with many different choices, will stick to that one tried-and-true product. But even they, I think, will start to contemplate other options if that product begins to falter or stop serving that person's interests.
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Maybe without freedom of choice means you just go with the flow until such time you are free.
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I think Steemit is a success and will continue to move forward is that it's a unique, one oaf a kind experiment with little or no competition in it's league. And this is why Steemit users continue to grow as our community expands and loyalty factor strengthens.
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Up until I joined steemit, I avoided social media sites like the plague. I enjoy this site and the dialogues on here tremendously though, and I hope it continues in in its current form.
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When you see giants like Apple or Samsung fall I will believe loyalty is dead. Capitalism and freedom give us the choices for buying the cheapest product with the best preformance. Apple and Samsung however prove we as humans still have brand loyalty and like to be familiar with products. If people can't let go of a brand name due to social posturing than we are a long way from loyaly being dead.
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This is a very good point. However, these companies basically compete with themselves to improve their own products. Most people are not very loyal to their Apple or Samsung "products" which causes these companies to constantly alter and improve their products. Or do you still have the iphone 4? or 5? or 5s? So your point is valid that people are loyal to these companies (for now) but they are not loyal to their products. One more point: We are not yet at true freedom, obviously. So it is easier for these companies to maintain their customers when there are so many regulations in place that prohibit smaller start ups to compete with them. Apple goes so far as to allow the Chinese government access to its users info (reportedly). If government would not interfere, these companies would be facing serious competition for their customers, and their loyalty, by now.
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True but people will still follow a brand over a higher quality product.
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I think the key thing here is that freedom is choice. I've had a number of discussions lately on the topic, and what I find a lot of people miss is the freedom to, to whatever extent, choose not to be free.
Loyalty is a personal choice. To deny me my will to be loyal to someone or something restricts my freedom to choose my own path in life. So when I say I live my life as a free man it's because I choose my own path. If someone tries to restrict me against my will, I will move past them. If I decide to set my own rules, it is my prerogative to do so.
That's the precise kind of freedom we have. While we live in the oppressive post-9/11 world, we have developed a stronger sense of personal agency.
As long as you are directing the direction of your own life, you are free. You are free to love or hate, free to listen or ignore, and free to be loyal to everyone or no one. Loyalty isn't dead or dying, expectations are.
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I think that with more freedom, which I think we have/will have, we will have more choices and options which will cause us to be less loyal because we will be free to choose something better that may come. Say, for example, that you tend to buy a specific brand of vitamins, because where you live there are restrictions on other brands. If you are suddenly able to choose from many other brands which may be cheaper or organic or have better reviews, than your loyalty for the brand you bought previously will be tested.
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I agree, my brand loyalty will certainly be tested, as it should. There are certain brands I doubt I'll lose my loyalty to though, particularly local ones. I have a tea supplier that I've been using for years. Her prices are reasonable, but more than anything I just like the woman who sells it. Sweet lady who really just wants to make the most of life.
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Aren't most decisions that we make, based on "branding"? Beyond just purchasing loyalty, if you follow the logic then this could include most of our decisions; from what websites we frequent, to what wife we choose. The more freedom we have, the more choices we have. The more choices we have, the more competition there will be. The more competition there is, the less loyalty there will be. Competition drives up improvement, but drives down loyalty.
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I would have to disagree, at least personally. The more choice I have, the more I feel I made the right one. No second guessing if I would have found something better if I had of just looked harder. I only have confidence in my decisions if they've been well tested.
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Yes, there are some who prefer to be loyal even if something better comes along.
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I'm like that a lot of the time. Loyalty still means something to me, though in many ways it works against my very being :P Still, I try to keep options open if something is particularly better.
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I have the other problem, I am always thinking about what out there could serve my interests better. It is kind of a curse as well.
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Hmmm? This is truly a thought provoking post! With this paradigm shift which is currently occuring I feel that there will be those who will remain loyal to their favorite brand because that population always exists in the marketplace.
However, there will be a newer breed of humans who will break free from the Matrix and come to the realization that they will never again pledge their allegiance to anyone or anything that seeks to control their dollars and loyalty to that which really doesn't care at the end end of the day if they have food on their table!
Great post!
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I have already encountered both types of people here in the comments section. I think people view themselves as one thing (loyal) but are probably not as much of that one thing as they perceive. Thank you for commenting.
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Absolutely! Happy Steeming bro!
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Likewise, majik. Keep it building.
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I am loyal to that which is most fitting my needs. In some cases it is fortunate they even exist at all, without the sole provider for such uncommon items, I wouldn't even be able to get anything. Belleville boots and Kitanica clothing are two companies that I am loyal to, basically because nobody else does what they do.
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Yes, very true. I had not heard of these two companies before you mentioned them, and only through a free site such as this (Steemit) can I now possible purchase merchandise from them. Perhaps with more freedom in our societies, a company can come into existence that fits your needs even better than these companies, then your loyalty will be tested.
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I hope so! What I want is electroconductive soles and zero drop (they have a rise in the heel about 4mm) for the belleville TR103's, and kitanica - last pair of pants I had from them used a really crappy velcro that started to wear out quite quickly.
I think it could be said that as the markets open up more and more across borders, people simply have more choices, and they choose what works best for them. This is capitalism, and in spite of the many ways in which governments try to strangle markets and the flow of goods and people across borders, the greater availability of information means better decisions.
Many objections to capitalism are based on the fact that often this information is not accessible. It is my view that this improvement of availability of information is rapidly eroding the legitimacy of governments, and spurring a growing migration of people away from places with heavy control to places where control is weak.
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If there is big enough market for them, then they will make exactly what you need. It is true, that sometimes there are tiny niche markets that are not yet covered by any company but this is just another opportunity for some ingenuous and industrious entrepreneur. Part of the misinformation regarding capitalism, is they negative perceptions created during economic collapses and the bursting of bubbles. There always must be a group to blame, so it is the fault of the greedy. The problem with this, is that it is a mischaracterization of capitalism because the current system is hardly a lassiez faire style system. Our current system has far too much government intervention and manipulation which is rarely reported.
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