Shakespeare, William According to William Shakespeare, the first step toward happiness in life is to be loyal to oneself. He said this in his book The Four Last Plays. This quote has been used by many people since then. Loyalty is important in friendships and relationships. It is also important in business, especially when making decisions that may affect others. Without loyalty, there would be no trust between friends or partners. And without trust, relationships would be less comfortable and less beneficial, which is not what you want from your friendships and partnerships. Loyalty can be seen as a form of respect. If you show someone that you are loyal to them, you are showing them that you believe they are worth being treated with respect. That's why it's important to be loyal to yourself first before trying to be loyal to others. Self-respect means knowing who you are and what you deserve. When you know you're worth something, you can handle any situation that comes your way. No matter how difficult things get, never changing yourself for anyone else can keep you strong even when everyone around you falls apart. The truth is, nobody can make you feel small or worthless unless you let them.