Obligation doesn’t just operate in relationships — it oppresses money, work, art, self-care, and every domain it enters. If you feel obligated to make money, you can’t love money, and the idea of loving money becomes foreign or even absurd. That’s how entrenched the obligation is — it’s made the entire relationship with money oppressive. And since we’re not wired to run toward things that oppress us, obligation inadvertently pushes away the very thing we’re trying to get.
The most successful entrepreneurs don’t feel obligation toward their business — they feel “I get to, I want to.” This creates resilience: when everything goes wrong, love for what you’re doing keeps you going. Obligation under pressure produces “fuck it, I’m out.” Every successful entrepreneur has a story of nearly quitting — they survived because they were connected to want, not duty.
Obligation toward self is equally destructive. The inner critic creates obligation through self-management, cutting you off from self-love. Managers who feel obligated to their teams, boards, and customers lose their love of business entirely.
“If somebody feels like they have an obligation to make money, it doesn’t allow you to love money.”
“You have a lot more resilience if you love what you’re doing… than if what you’re doing is an obligation — then shit goes sideways and you’re like, ‘fuck it, I’m out.‘”
Related Concepts
- Money blocks are safety blocks
- Craving pushes away what you want
- Enjoyment is more efficient than pushing through
- Depersonalizing money creates financial freedom
- The difference between craving and wanting