Call it loyalty, call it what you want, but I suppose I've got

Jonathan Brown once spoke with the frankness of a man who had battled, endured, and found strength in brotherhood: “Call it loyalty, call it what you want, but I suppose I've got people up here who I'm really tight with, we've made a lot of great bonds over the last few years and I've got people in my corner I can trust.” These words, though simple, carry the weight of ancient wisdom. They remind us that in the struggles of life, no man prevails alone. Bonds forged through hardship and perseverance are stronger than steel, and trust is the fortress in which the weary soul may rest.

The origin of this thought is rooted in Brown’s career as an athlete, where the field of battle is not war, but the contest of sport. Yet the lessons remain the same. To fight alongside others, to share victories and defeats, to sweat, labor, and sacrifice together—these experiences weave threads of loyalty that cannot easily be broken. Brown knew that beyond talent, beyond strategy, it is the unseen power of loyalty and trust that makes a team endure. The ancients would have called this philia, the deep brotherly love that binds warriors together.

Consider the story of the Spartan 300 at Thermopylae. They were not bound by wealth, nor by ambition, but by loyalty to one another and to their homeland. Leonidas and his men knew they could not survive, yet they stood side by side because the bonds between them were stronger than fear of death. This is the same spirit that Brown evokes: not the mere camaraderie of convenience, but the sacred bond of those who have suffered and triumphed together, who know that in the moment of crisis they can look to their side and find a brother ready to stand firm.

Brown’s words also acknowledge a deeper truth: that loyalty cannot be demanded—it must be earned. Through “the last few years,” through trials, through toil, these great bonds were formed. It was not a gift, but the fruit of labor, patience, and shared struggle. In every age, men and women have discovered that trust grows not from words, but from deeds; not from promises, but from presence in times of hardship. The people in one’s corner are proven not in ease, but in fire.

This is the lesson for us all. Each of us must ask: Who stands in my corner? Who will fight for me when the battle grows dark? And for whom do I stand in turn? These questions are not trivial—they are the foundation of strength in life. Wealth may fail, power may fade, but loyalty endures. In your friendships, in your families, in your communities, seek to build these bonds. Offer loyalty not as a bargain, but as a gift, and over time you will discover that you too are surrounded by those you can trust.

History gives us another voice in this chorus: Abraham Lincoln, during his presidency, was known for his “Team of Rivals.” He brought into his cabinet not only allies, but those who once opposed him. Over time, through shared labor for the nation’s survival, bonds of respect and loyalty were forged. It was not quick, nor easy, but it became one of his greatest strengths. Lincoln, like Brown, understood that true trust and loyalty arise from time, honesty, and the crucible of struggle.

Therefore, let Jonathan Brown’s words guide you: cherish the bonds you have, and tend them like a garden. Be loyal to those who stand by you, and prove yourself worthy of their loyalty in return. Surround yourself not with flatterers or the faithless, but with companions of integrity who will speak truth, fight beside you, and lift you when you stumble. For in the end, it is not riches or fame that endure, but the sacred fellowship of trust.

So carry this wisdom forward: loyalty is the hidden treasure of life, and trust is the shield that guards the soul. Seek it, nurture it, and embody it. And when you look around in the storms of life, may you too find that you are not alone, but surrounded by people in your corner—bound to you, as you are to them, by ties that time itself cannot sever.