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Notes -
I suppose I'd shrug at that and say 'the great man can devote himself whole-heartedly to his work or passion or art or group of alchemists meeting in masks and funny hats because he has a wife at home making sure he has cooked meals, clean clothing, and she handles running the house and making sure the bills are paid'.
There's a balance in everything. Someone who really is happier at home with his family and his pursuits is not a traitor; better that he go home, than stick around distracted and half-assing the job.
I mean, on one level, sure. Some random person who is happy at home isn't a traitor, but that's ignoring the context of a (possibly secret) society devoted to $GREAT_WORK.
Generally when you join such a group, you would take an oath to put the group above all else. It's the betrayal of this oath that constitutes treason, which requires that you be in the in-group before you can commit it. The in-group membership is important. The same way someone born in Bolivia cannot be a traitor to the country of Iraq, someone who never joined the secret society can't be a traitor. An enemy? Sure. But not a traitor.
Presumably the takeaway is that someone who is happier at home should never take such an oath and join such a society, which seems reasonable. But the context of the quote seems to specify someone who has already made such a commitment.
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