"They talk of a man betraying his country, his friends, his sweetheart. There must be a moral bond first. All a man can betray is his conscience"

This quote by Joseph Conrad speaks with the idea that an individual must have a moral bond with something before they can betray it. To put it simply, an individual should have a sense of loyalty or dedication to something before they can be stated to have betrayed it. This quote suggests that a person can not be stated to have betrayed their country, good friends, or sweetie unless they had a moral bond with them in the very first place. It indicates that betrayal is only possible when an individual has a sense of loyalty or commitment to something, and then breaks that bond. This quote likewise recommends that the only thing a person can really betray is their conscience, as it is the only thing that is really within an individual's control.