ABSTRACT
The behavior that evokes the label of betrayal consists of a universal structure in which violating moral boundaries of two important values takes place: those of trust and loyalty. These violations tend to involve different levels of threat potentials, both for the interpersonal level and the state level. The antagonistic violation of trust and loyalty, and hence the crossing of moral boundaries by a genuine member in the collective or dyad, is interpreted as betrayal. It can range from the personal level to the level of an organization, such as a nation-state. Deception is focused on definitions of moral commitment and interest. The deception lies in the warping of reality a la Orwell's 1984 doublethink. A significant dimension in understanding betrayal is the motivation of the person involved in that act. A crucial factor is the source of our information regarding the motivation.
