Degrees, Designer Labels, and the Dignity of Being Real

Let me get this out of the way—degrees are important. Expertise matters. You wouldn’t want your dentist to learn on the job or your architect to “wing it” with your ceiling. So yes, qualification has its rightful place. But somewhere between the weight of degrees and the obsession with LinkedIn-ready designations, we forgot to ask a more vital question: What about intention? What about attitude?

I’ve met people with glowing CVs and zero emotional quotient. People who can quote Tagore and Thoreau but can’t say a genuine thank you without it sounding like a press release. People with corner offices and high-definition hair, whose moral compass points conveniently in whichever direction the wind—or money—is blowing. And then I’ve met others—quiet, grounded, maybe without the fancy paper trail—but whose loyalty and integrity could shame a battalion.

So, here’s the big question:
Can loyalty be cultivated? Or is it simply a result of the environment one is raised in?

Let’s explore that.

Loyalty Is a Legacy, Not a Lesson

You don’t wake up one morning and decide, “Today, I shall be loyal.” Loyalty is not a value picked up from a motivational poster or a weekend workshop. It’s what seeps into your bones when you grow up in a home where truth is non-negotiable, where doing the right thing isn’t a virtue—it’s expected.

It’s the kind of home where…

• Lies, even white ones, are considered a crack in character.
• Swearing isn’t dismissed as “just words” but frowned upon as a reflection of poor thinking.
• A promise means you keep your word even when it’s inconvenient.
• You apologize when you’re wrong, and more importantly, you recognize when you’re wrong.

In such a home, loyalty isn’t taught—it’s caught. It’s in the way parents treat staff with respect, the way they follow rules when no one is watching, the way they don’t fake smiles just to look good at social events.

And loyalty, in its true form, is not blind obedience. It’s not being a doormat. It’s a conscious, heartfelt commitment to people, causes, and principles that matter.

Intention vs. Image

We live in a time where image management is a full-time job. Social media has become our new resume. How you look, what you wear, where you vacation, and what you caption your latest “candid” photo with—these define you far more than your daily actions or decisions.

But let’s pause here. Because the real difference between authenticity and artificiality lies in one word: intention.

You can be dressed in a crisp FabIndia kurta or a wrinkled tee—it doesn’t matter, if your heart is in the right place. If your intention is pure, people feel it. Animals sense it. Children trust it. And no brand ambassador on a hoarding can manufacture that.

You can have the perfect home, the shining car, and a job that sounds impressive at dinner parties—but if your relationships are held together by pretence, and your staff fears you more than respects you, then what exactly have you built?

Optics may win you admiration. But only intention wins you trust.

Can You Teach Loyalty?

Now, here’s the twist. While loyalty is rooted in upbringing and early environment, can it be developed later in life?

To an extent—yes. People change when they encounter truth, when they are inspired, when they are called out by someone they respect. But that only happens when they’re willing to strip off the outer layers of ego, entitlement, and ambition-driven narcissism.

Loyalty grows when:

• You’re held accountable—and you accept it with grace.
• You realize that loyalty doesn’t mean agreeing with everything but staying even when you disagree.
• You begin valuing people not for what they can do for you, but for who they are.

It’s a shift. From self-interest to shared interest. From transactional to transformational.

But it won’t happen in spaces where lies are convenient, cuss words are casual, and fake personas are currency. It requires environments where feedback is honest, feelings are real, and ethics aren’t flexible depending on who’s watching.

The Irreplaceable Value of Being Real

Let’s face it: we all like shiny things. The perfectly styled hair. The curated living room with throw pillows arranged by Pantone shades. The Instagram-perfect lunch where even the lemon wedge has been photogenically placed.

But real is rare. Real is messy. Real has chipped corners, tears at the wrong moments, and laughs loudly without checking if it’s camera-friendly. And real, more often than not, is what people return to when the world outside becomes too overwhelming.

Real loyalty—the kind that doesn’t flinch, that doesn’t look for exit options, that isn’t insecure or hyperventilating about credit—is built in these spaces of realness.

Where people aren’t “resources” but relationships.
Where emotions aren’t filtered to look presentable.
Where truth isn’t seasonal.

So, What Would You Rather Have?

• A team that wears suits but switches teams at the scent of a better offer?
• Or a bunch of slightly eccentric, maybe less polished, but fiercely loyal colleagues who’ll stay when the tide turns?
• A child who scores 95 but lies fluently?
• Or one who stumbles with spelling but owns up when they mess up?
• A partner who gives you matching outfits for Instagram?
• Or one who’ll sit with you in silence on your worst days and not need words to say, “I’ve got you”?

I know my answer.

Give Me the Real Any Day

The world doesn’t lack talent. It lacks sincerity. It lacks people who do things not for claps, likes, or LinkedIn hashtags—but because it’s the right thing to do. It lacks environments that reward integrity over influence, effort over elegance, and consistency over charisma.

So yes, degrees are great. Expertise is crucial. But the true value of a person lies in their ability to mean what they say, say what they mean, and stay even when it’s tough.

Loyalty isn’t built in the glow of success. It’s built in the shadows of struggle.

And in a world where “fake it till you make it” is considered a mantra, let’s remember—
Being real is a revolutionary act.

#BeingReal

#LoyaltyMatters

#NotJustDegrees

#EthicsEveryday

#TruthOverTrend

#CultivatingCharacter

#AttitudeOverAppearance

#IntentionMatters

#RealNotRich

#ValuesOverValidation