Bernard explained

It's spelled 'loyalty', not 'loyality', by the way. How anyone makes that kind of mistake in the TITLE of their post, is beyond me.

In any case, I was thinking about Bernard the other morning, and I figured it all out. It's pretty simple.

Bernard is not actually some kind of two-faced bstrd, he is actually trying to JUGGLE.

On one hand, there's his 'professional duty', or his 'mental, rational side', his career, future, and all that. We can label this 'FEAR-based actions and intentions'.

On the other hand, there's his 'humanity', or his 'heart, emotional, compassionate side', his empathy towards the Minister, his understanding that Humphrey shouldn't always get his way or he would become complete, intolerable monster, etc. We can label this 'LOVE-based actions and intentions'.

So he doesn't have 'loyalty' per se, that's somehow pre-planned, but instead, he REACTS to every single situtation as 'case-to-case-basis'.

This means, he's trying to fulfill his rational, fear-based, intellectual-financial future-duty that is his job, while still FEELING compassionate towards the Minister and letting his human side help the minister as much as possible out of this compassion.

It's his 'head' fighting his 'heart', or 'his fear fighting his love', if you will.

Bernard doesn't WANT to become a 'moral vacuum', and is saddened by the thought, so he basically sabotages himself, as he's in an impossible position of wanting security and permanence, and a stable future for himself for pragmatic, rational and fear-based reasons, while at the same time, not agreeing to be a cold-hearted monster manipulator, like Humphrey.

Bernard is trying to do two contradictory things at once; 'secure his job, career and future', and 'retain his humanity, compassion and sense of right and wrong'.

He succeeds admirably, in my opinion, but his frustration often explodes as a smart-aleck quip about the idioms, symbolism of sayings and such, when Bernard takes it literally. 'Don't rock the boat until it's in the bag'. Obviously, this doesn't mean the BOAT is in the bag, it means 'the deal is in the bag', but Bernard, nevertheless, almost angrily remarks, "You don't put boats in bags".

Basically Bernard is fighting himself, and the casualties come out of his mouth as this kind of nonsensical 'corrections' or false observations, like 'you can't spit someone in the face while you stab them in the back' (although clearly, you CAN), or 'the prime minister much have a rather large ear' (reaching all the way into the pocket).

Bernard is an interesting case, as he's not 100% on either side, because he has both sides; the career ambition of Humphrey, and the compassion and humanity of the minister.

He never answers a question about this directly, either; 'When the chips are down, are you on my side' (I am paraphrasing), Bernard only answers that it's his JOB to make sure the chips stay up (so he doesn't HAVE to choose sides or admit where his loyalty lies - as he HAS no loyalty, just contradiction or combat inside of him).