Difference Between Loyalty and Trust

Key Difference – Loyalty vs Trust
 

Loyalty and trust are important aspects of any strong relationship. Although loyalty and trust are interconnected, they are not the same. Loyalty is faithfulness or devotion to someone or something. Trust is the reliance on the integrity, strength, etc. of a person or thing. This is the key difference between loyalty and trust. Sometimes, trust may be the basis of loyalty.

CONTENTS
1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Loyalty
3. What is Trust
4. Side by Side Comparison – Loyalty vs Trust
5. Summary

What is Loyalty?

Loyalty is the allegiance, support, faithfulness or devotion to a person, group, cause or a country. Loyalty “implies a faithfulness that is steadfast in the face of any temptation to renounce, desert, or betray” (Merriam-Webster Dictionary). The loyalty of a team’s fans, the loyalty of patriots, the loyalty of a spouse, the loyalty of a pet, etc. are some examples of loyalty. A person who shows loyalty to someone or something can be described by the adjective loyal. The opposite of loyal is disloyal.

Loyalty may or may not be based on a valid cause. For example, a person may be loyal to his country because he was born in that country. But, when it comes to loyalty to a sports team or music band, the loyalty may be based on subjective factors such as talents of the members, physical appearance of the member(s). Loyalty may be also based on trust. In some cases, loyalty may be described as long trust. For example, imagine that a person buys a certain brand of soap because he trusts that product. This long-term trust will result in loyalty to the brand.

What is Trust?

Trust can be described as reliance on the integrity, strength, ability, etc., of a person or thing. When one trusts another, this means that one person is willing to rely on the actions of another. Trust is an important concept in relationships between people. A relationship cannot go on without trust. We trust our partner to be loyal to us. We also expect them to be truthful, i.e., always tell the truth. We also trust our parents, siblings, children, etc., trust them to be loyal and supportive. Thus, trust is the basic foundation of any relationship.

However, trusting someone without thinking carefully or knowing that person well can also be dangerous. For example, we may lend money to a person, trusting him to return money on time, but that person may not return the money.

A person who trusts people easily can be described with the adjective trusting. A person who can be trusted can be described by the adjective trustworthy. A person who cannot be trusted is described as untrustworthy. The opposite of trust is mistrust or suspicion.

What is the difference between Loyalty and Trust?

Loyalty vs Trust
Loyalty is the allegiance, support, faithfulness or devotion to a person, group, cause or a country.	Trust is the reliance on integrity, strength, ability, etc., of a person or thing.
Opposite
Disloyalty and treachery are the opposite of loyalty.	Mistrust and suspicion are the opposite of trust.
Relationship
Loyalty can be a result of long-term trust.	Trust can be a stepping stone to loyalty.
Other Parties Involved
A person can be loyal to another person, group, cause or a country.	A person can trust another person, group, concept (ex: law), or a cause.

Summary – Loyalty vs Trust

The difference between loyalty and trust is that loyalty the faithfulness or devotion to someone or something whereas trust is the reliance on integrity, strength, ability, etc., of someone or something. These two aspects are sometimes interrelated since loyalty can be based on trust.

Image Courtesy:
1. “A loyal dog puts his paw on the lap of a sick girl holding f Wellcome V0015127” By Welcome Image Gallery (CC BY 4.0) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “1797401” (Public Domain) via Pixabay