--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: But if we betray B., for whom we betrayed…" description: "\"“But if we betray B., for whom we betrayed A., it does not necessarily follow that we have placated A. The life of a divorcée-painter did not in the le..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e5f/milan-kundera-120_betrayal_but-if-we-betray-b-for-whom-we-betrayed_2284643.jpg" --- # But if we betray B., for whom we betrayed A., it does not… ![“But if we betray B., for whom we betrayed A., it does not necessarily follow that we have placated A. The life of a divorcée-painter did not in the least resemble the life of the parents she had betrayed. The first betrayal is irreparable. It calls forth a chain reaction of further betrayals, each…” quote by Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e5f/milan-kundera-120_betrayal_but-if-we-betray-b-for-whom-we-betrayed_2284643.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e5f/milan-kundera-120_betrayal_but-if-we-betray-b-for-whom-we-betrayed_2284643.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e5f/milan-kundera-120_betrayal_but-if-we-betray-b-for-whom-we-betrayed_2284643.jpg) > ““But if we betray B., for whom we betrayed A., it does not necessarily follow that we have placated A. The life of a divorcée-painter did not in the least resemble the life of the parents she had betrayed. The first betrayal is irreparable. It calls forth a chain reaction of further betrayals, each of which takes us farther and farther away from the point of our original betrayal.”” [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Betrayal creates a cascade where each new betrayal distances us further from the original hurt, making repair increasingly impossible. **In simple terms:** Betrayal leads to more betrayals, moving us away from the first hurt. Key Takeaway Recognize and stop the chain early. Themes betrayal relationships consequences trust psychology Mood reflective somber thoughtful Type philosophical literary psychological When to use this quote - personal relationships - family dynamics - conflict resolution - ethical decision making Key Concepts Moral decay cascade effect human frailty Questions to Reflect On - Can you identify the first betrayal that started a pattern? - How might breaking the cycle restore relationships? A Different Perspective Each betrayal may be rationalized, but the cumulative damage deepens loss of trust. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Betray Betrayed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/betray-betrayed-3587403/) [Betrayal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/betrayal/) [Betrayals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/betrayals/) [Betrayed Betrayal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/betrayed-betrayal-5344911/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [Reaction Betrayals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reaction-betrayals-5344912/) ## Related quotes > [All of us must act selfishly to Iearn charity, must lie to learn honor, must betray and be betrayed to learn to value trust…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-vaughan/all-of-us-must-act-selfishly-to-iearn-charity-must-lie-to-learn-honor/) [Bill Vaughan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-vaughan/) > [“When you betrayed someone, you didn’t just betray them, you betrayed your families, your community, an entire way of life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dana-stabenow/when-you-betrayed-someone-you-didn-t-just-betray-them-you-betrayed/) [Dana Stabenow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dana-stabenow/) > [Heads will fly all over the place, others will explode by themselves, everyone will have their chance to betray, and those who don't betray…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/heads-will-fly-all-over-the-place-others-will-explode-by-themselves/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“You have no understanding of the warrior code at all. 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But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/until-that-time-her-betrayals-had-filled-her-with-excitement-and-joy/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [One's worst enormities remain within, and it is only one's vulgar commonplaces of error and folly that turn into murders and suicides, treasons, infidelities,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-mumford/one-s-worst-enormities-remain-within-and-it-is-only-one-s-vulgar/) [Lewis Mumford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-mumford/) > [The truth now.He was disappointed in human beings.He had seen too many betrayals,too many pitiful weaknesses,too much greed for money and fame.The falseness between…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-puzo/the-truth-now-he-was-disappointed-in-human-beings-he-had-seen-too/) [Mario Puzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-puzo/) > [“I watched you try on suits in Hugo Boss.‘For the big job,’ you said. 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Was there no way we could avoid damaging each other?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-thornton/was-that-all-life-really-was-a-series-of-betrayals-was-there-no-way/) [Marshall Thornton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-thornton/) > [The worst betrayals come from the ones we trust the most.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-worst-betrayals-come-from-the-ones-we-trust-the-most/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Grief works its own perversions and betrayals; the shape of what we have lost is as subject to corruption as the mortal body...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-unsworth/grief-works-its-own-perversions-and-betrayals-the-shape-of-what-we/) [Barry Unsworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-unsworth/) > [From tender youth we are told by father and teacher that betrayal is the most heinous offence imaginable. But what is betrayal? Betrayal means breaking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/from-tender-youth-we-are-told-by-father-and-teacher-that-betrayal-is/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [Every love relationship rests on an unwritten agreement unthinkingly concluded by the lovers in the first weeks of their love. They are still in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/every-love-relationship-rests-on-an-unwritten-agreement-unthinkingly/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) ## More by Milan Kundera > [“The future is only an indifferent void no one cares about, but the past is filled with life, and its countenance is irritating, repellent,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/the-future-is-only-an-indifferent-void-no-one-cares-about-but-the/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [“From that time on they both looked forward to sleeping together. I might even say that the goal of their lovemaking was not so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/from-that-time-on-they-both-looked-forward-to-sleeping-together-i/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [“Beauty in the European sense has always had a premeditated quality to it. We've always had an aesthetic intention and a long-range plan. 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If I have a child, it's as though I'm saying: I was born…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/having-a-child-is-to-show-an-absolute-accord-with-mankind-if-i-have-a/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [Love is a battle," said Marie-Claude, still smiling. "And I plan to go on fighting. To the end." Love is a battle?" said Franz.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/love-is-a-battle-said-marie-claude-still-smiling-and-i-plan-to-go-on/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [“He remained annoyed with himself until he realized that not knowing what he wanted was actually quite natural. We can never know what to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/he-remained-annoyed-with-himself-until-he-realized-that-not-knowing/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [“Whenever I think about ancient cultures nostalgia seizes me. 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For all my skepticism, some trace of irrational superstition did survive in me, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/do-stories-apart-from-happening-being-have-something-to-say-for-all/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [“Os extremos delimitam a fronteira para além da qual a vida termina, e a paixão pelo extremismo, tanto em arte como em política, é…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/os-extremos-delimitam-a-fronteira-para-al-m-da-qual-a-vida-termina-e/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [The characters in my novels are my own unrealized possibilities. That is why I am equally fond of them all and equally horrified by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/the-characters-in-my-novels-are-my-own-unrealized-possibilities-that/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [Anyone whose goal is 'something higher' must expect someday to suffer vertigo.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/anyone-whose-goal-is-something-higher-must-expect-someday-to-suffer/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) [Explore all 952 Milan Kundera quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) ## More Betrayal quotes > [“That's the catch about betrayal, of course: that it feels good, that there's something immensely pleasurable about moving from a complicated relationship which involves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-ephron/that-s-the-catch-about-betrayal-of-course-that-it-feels-good-that/) [Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-ephron/) > [God’s faithfulness is stronger than our unfaithfulness and our infidelities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/god-s-faithfulness-is-stronger-than-our-unfaithfulness-and-our/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) > [“Flattery looks like friendship, just like a wolf looks like a dog.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-auliq-ice/flattery-looks-like-friendship-just-like-a-wolf-looks-like-a-dog/) [Oscar Auliq-Ice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-auliq-ice/) > [There is no deceit in death. It delivers precisely what it has promised. Betrayal, though ... betrayal is the willful slaughter of hope.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/km-ii/there-is-no-deceit-in-death-it-delivers-precisely-what-it-has/) [KM II](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/km-ii/) > [If you leave someone for another person, don't be surprised if that person leaves you for someone else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-leave-someone-for-another-person-don-t-be-surprised-if-that/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“As they say in New York, Get over it and, if you can't get over it, Get over talking about it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marian-keyes/as-they-say-in-new-york-get-over-it-and-if-you-can-t-get-over-it-get/) [Marian Keyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marian-keyes/) > [“He returned her gaze, yearning for sentimental solace; love which emanated from a familiar source, mattered little how bedevilling. They shared an intimate moment,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-h-septimius/he-returned-her-gaze-yearning-for-sentimental-solace-love-which/) [A. H. Septimius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-h-septimius/) > [I was always here for you,you knew you could count on me and trust me blindly, and you knew that I would never tell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hayssus/i-was-always-here-for-you-you-knew-you-could-count-on-me-and-trust-me/) [Michael Hayssus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hayssus/) > [Joy doesn't betray but sustains activism. And when you face a politics that aspires to make you fearful, alienated and isolated, joy is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-solnit/joy-doesn-t-betray-but-sustains-activism-and-when-you-face-a-politics/) [Rebecca Solnit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-solnit/) > [“Betrayal and love are not mutually exclusive." (Mordred)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldous-mercer/betrayal-and-love-are-not-mutually-exclusive-mordred/) [Aldous Mercer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldous-mercer/) > [Love comes exactly... To those who still hope, even though they've been disappointed. To those who still believe, even though they've been betrayed and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mizhan/love-comes-exactly-to-those-who-still-hope-even-though-they-ve-been/) [Mizhan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mizhan/) > [For some people, a one-night stand doesn't make any difference in a seven-year love affair. I don't believe the degree of betrayal is always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-perel/for-some-people-a-one-night-stand-doesn-t-make-any-difference-in-a/) [Esther Perel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esther-perel/) > [Betrayal is a serious thing in this world,you know what else is serious? Being lied to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sabrina/betrayal-is-a-serious-thing-in-this-world-you-know-what-else-is/) [Sabrina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sabrina/) > [The greatest temptation for the like of us is: to renounce violence, to repent, to make peace with oneself. Most revolutionaries fell before this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-koestler/the-greatest-temptation-for-the-like-of-us-is-to-renounce-violence-to/) [Arthur Koestler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-koestler/) > [“Sarai, you never know who might betray you until it’s too late.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-a-redmerski/sarai-you-never-know-who-might-betray-you-until-it-s-too-late/) [J.A. Redmerski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-a-redmerski/) [Browse all 2,050 Betrayal quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/betrayal/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“But if we betray B., for whom we betrayed A., it does not necessarily follow that we have placated A. The life of a divorcée-painter did not in the least resemble the life of the parents she had betrayed. The first betrayal is irreparable. 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