There is a plethora of forms that a relationship can take, but one thing should always remain constant: loyalty.

“Loyalty is the foundation of a good relationship, along with trust. If you can’t trust your partner when they’re alone, then you all shouldn’t be in a relationship,” said Emme Smith, a political science major at UT Martin.

Loyalty is the act of being fully dedicated to the person or people within a relationship. It is not an optional thing; it’s the baseline of any good relationship. It is what every part of the relationship stems from, including trust, respect and communication. However, in recent years, loyalty has been given a new definition and, at times, even dismissed.

When asking students their opinions on the topic of loyalty, a similar stance kept coming up. Some students said that loyalty is not necessary if both parties know that it is not something they have. In their eyes, as long as the expectation is clear, then it is okay not to be committed to each other. 

But are these real relationships? No. Both of these situations are just agreements and transactions, not true bonds and built connections.

Without loyalty, a real relationship would quickly crumble. Research from  VeryWellMind shows that loyalty strengthens trust and fosters honesty when a person knows that their partner is loyal. It also leads to longer and healthier relationships built on trust and communication.

And many students agree with this. 

“The first key to a relationship is communication and loyalty,” said Gavin Boatman, a mechanical engineering major at UT Martin. “In my relationship, my girlfriend is loyal, and we don’t even need to think about it. It’s mostly the reason we have gotten so far.”

Loyalty is important, and it shouldn’t be a request: it should be a requirement. While it is not the only necessity of a relationship, it is one of, if not the most important, because love is not just part of a relationship; it’s the foundation of one.