When life is going well, it’s easy to forget that change happens in an instant. It is the nature of the universe. In an uncertain world, a sense of loyalty and mutual responsibility is often the glue that holds families and friendships together. It can be the lifeline that helps us to feel safe and supported and enables us to function well.

We all want to be accepted for who we are. Not for what we can buy, what we look like or who we know. When we cannot rely on the loyalty of each other, there is anxiety and insecurity, loneliness and heartbreak.

It is logical to feel loyalty towards the people we feel close to, especially if we want them to be loyal to us. But can this feeling of closeness go further? Is it possible to extend the same warmth and support to people outside our inner circle? What can be done to develop an attitude of loyalty and solidarity towards the wider community and, ultimately, towards the entire planet? Some great people, such as the 16 Guidelines role models, seem able to do this. What would the world be like if we could each extend our sense of loyalty in this way?

"To live the full life, one must have the courage to bear responsibility for the need of others."

• Aung San Suu Kyi

"Loyalty is the pledge of truth to oneself and others"

• Ada Velez-Boardley

"Leadership is a two-way street, loyalty up and loyalty down. Respect for one's superiors; care for one's crew."

• Grace Murray Hopper

"Our loyalties must transend our race, our tribe, our class, and our nation; and this means we must develop a world perspective."

• Martin Luther King

"Unless you can find some sort of loyalty, you cannot find unity and peace in your active living."

• Josiah Royce