Why Do People Betray?

Betray a friend and you'll often find you have ruined yourself.

~Aesop, Aesop's Fables~

Have you ever thought about why some people betray others?  I do but then I think a lot about what makes individuals do the things they do - good or bad.  There's this...this... "thing" about me that makes me want to know the whys of everything.  I figure that if you know why something happens, it's easier to find a solution to the problem.


I remember learning about Benedict Arnold when I was in elementary school.  Before he was a traitor, he was a patriot and a war hero.  But he was a jealous man who became bitter over his perceived lack of acknowledgement of his accomplishments.  This bitterness was the catalyst for his eventual betrayal of his country and it cost him dearly.


Brutus betrayed his friend, Julius Caesar, because he was talked into it.  To my knowledge, Brutus never received anything in the form of payment for his betrayal but he did have to leave his home and relocated to the island of Crete.


Delilah's only reason for betraying Sampson was greed.  She was paid 1100 shekels of silver  by the Philistines to learn the secret of Sampson's great strength.  Her betrayal would cost her and everyone in the temple - even Sampson himself - their lives.


Probably the best known betrayer of all time is Judas Iscariot.  His betrayal of Jesus for 30 pieces of silver is probably the saddest story of all.  Judas regretted his betrayal and gave back the silver.  He then took his own life but it was too late.


There are more examples throughout history but the reasons all seem to be the same:  Power, manipulation and greed.  The biggest thing this points out to me is that people in general have been the same throughout history.


The whole thing about betrayal to me is the lack of character required to betray another human being.  There is no respect, no compassion, no honor among those who betray.  Why not?  There is something inherently wrong with a person who is so easily led or who loves power and money so much that he is willing to turn against anyone.


I really can't put into words that sufficiently describe my feelings about betrayal.  This is such a totally foreign concept to me.  I don't understand it and probably never will.  Frankly, I'm not sure I want to.


In the beginning, I said I always look for a "why" in order to correct a situation.  In this case, I'm not so sure about that.  The "whys" are clear - greed, power and manipulation - but the answer is not.  Or is it?