Bad faith likes discourse on friendship and loyalty.

Cooley suggests that the more someone is inclined to betray trust or act dishonestly, the more they may invoke the rhetoric of “friendship” and “loyalty.” In this view, moral talk becomes a cover story: proclaiming allegiance can function as misdirection, a way to pre-empt suspicion or to bind others through emotional obligation. The aphorism also hints that loyalty, often praised as a virtue, can be weaponized—demanded to silence criticism or excuse wrongdoing. Its sting lies in reversing expectations: the loudest discourse about fidelity may signal not sincerity but anxiety, manipulation, or impending betrayal.