Treason is built into the working of such a society and its culture and, if carried out properly and in due form, no stigma attaches to it. This kind of society could not possibly function without treason. Treason within it performs the same role that price changes perform in a market society. It helps to maintain equilibrium through realignment. Just as a rise or fall in price ideally redirects resources to the point at which they are optimally deployed, so a realignment — treason, if you will — restores balance to the segmentary tribal world. An outnumbered clan Cl, unable to hold its own within tribe T1, will leave T1 and join T2.

XREF: Parallels market equilibrium economics — price reallocation analogized to tribal realignment. Might connect to game theory and coalition literature.

Diego Gambetta, Trust - Making and Breaking…, loc. 1948