Study: Loyalty Good for Brain

Tuesday, 21 June 2011 | by Pat's Picks

Good news for lifelong employees, married couples and Cubs fans in today’s Wall Street Journal: Loyalty, it turns out, is good for you. From love to employment to fandom, recent studies have shed light on the role of loyalty in human relationships. By staying loyal to someone or something, scientists say, we are able to operate without constantly suspecting the motives of others. In relationships fidelity translates into a “greater sense of life satisfaction and happiness,” not to mention a lower risk of diabetes, hypertension and heart attacks. In the workplace, studies have shown workers who stick around are more productive and creative than those who hop from job to job. And what about those long-suffering Cubs fans? A recent study found that rooting for your home team, even after moving to a city with a new (and maybe better) team helps people maintain their “sense of identity.”