---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The obligation to receive reduces our…"
description: "\"The obligation to receive reduces our ability to choose whom we wish to be indebted to and puts that power in the hands of others.\" — Anonymous"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd5/anonymous-1_ability_the-obligation-to-receive-reduces-our-ab_128284.jpg"
---

#  The obligation to receive reduces our ability to choose…

![“The obligation to receive reduces our ability to choose whom we wish to be indebted to and puts that power in the hands of others.” quote by Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd5/anonymous-1_ability_the-obligation-to-receive-reduces-our-ab_128284.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd5/anonymous-1_ability_the-obligation-to-receive-reduces-our-ab_128284.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd5/anonymous-1_ability_the-obligation-to-receive-reduces-our-ab_128284.jpg)

> “The obligation to receive reduces our ability to choose whom we wish to be indebted to and puts that power in the hands of others.”

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Receiving obligations limits freedom to choose who we owe, shifting power to others.

**In simple terms:** Being indebted restricts who we can favor.

Key Takeaway

Beware of undue obligations.

Themes

power autonomy relationships

Mood

cautious analytical

Type

advisory reflective

When to use this quote

- business deals
- personal favors
- political alliances

Key Concepts

social contract dependency

Practical Applications

- Set clear boundaries
- negotiate terms early

Questions to Reflect On

- Do obligations always create imbalance?
- When is indebtedness beneficial?

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Ability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability/) [Obligation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/obligation/) [Responsibility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/responsibility/) [Wish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wish/)

## Related quotes

> [Since, therefore, individuals as well as the public are so indebted to these writers for the benefits they enjoy, I think them not only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/since-therefore-individuals-as-well-as-the-public-are-so-indebted-to/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [It is no tragedy to do ungrateful people favors, but it is unbearable to be indebted to a scoundrel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-is-no-tragedy-to-do-ungrateful-people-favors-but-it-is-unbearable/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Astrology is a science in itself and contains an illuminating body of knowledge. It taught me many things and I am greatly indebted to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/astrology-is-a-science-in-itself-and-contains-an-illuminating-body-of/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“There are, however, many things which we ought not to reject, yet for which we cannot feel indebted.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/there-are-however-many-things-which-we-ought-not-to-reject-yet-for/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [You convey too great a compliment when you say that I have earned the right to the presidential nomination. No man can establish such…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-hoover/you-convey-too-great-a-compliment-when-you-say-that-i-have-earned-the/)

[Herbert Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-hoover/)

> [Be sure to do your duty today, and let God Take care of the outcome.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/be-sure-to-do-your-duty-today-and-let-god-take-care-of-the-outcome/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Deadbeat dads should be publicly flogged! All parents SHOULD live up to their obligations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/deadbeat-dads-should-be-publicly-flogged-all-parents-should-live-up/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Even when our burdens are too much to hold, God gives them to us to make us stronger.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/even-when-our-burdens-are-too-much-to-hold-god-gives-them-to-us-to/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [My role and my obligation was to conduct criminal investigations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/my-role-and-my-obligation-was-to-conduct-criminal-investigations/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [A man must not deny his manifest abilities, for that is to evade his obligations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-feather/a-man-must-not-deny-his-manifest-abilities-for-that-is-to-evade-his/)

[William Feather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-feather/)

> [I'm thankful for the ability to share my faith in a lot of different places. It's something that I take as a responsibility and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-tebow/i-m-thankful-for-the-ability-to-share-my-faith-in-a-lot-of-different/)

[Tim Tebow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-tebow/)

> [It's never too late to take a step in the right direction. It's never to late to become the person you are capable of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-s-never-too-late-to-take-a-step-in-the-right-direction-it-s-never/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Maturity is the ability to relate appropriately to other realities than one's own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/maturity-is-the-ability-to-relate-appropriately-to-other-realities/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Every quote is a sign, Just like how every person has a ability, you can use it to make a change in life. 8)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/every-quote-is-a-sign-just-like-how-every-person-has-a-ability-you/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Let us think of education as the means of developing our greatest abilities, because in each of us there is a private hope and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/let-us-think-of-education-as-the-means-of-developing-our-greatest/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

## More by Anonymous

> [And a tear rolled down her cheek, as she said goodbye; because she's walking away, and she's never looking back](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/and-a-tear-rolled-down-her-cheek-as-she-said-goodbye-because-she-s/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Life is full of change. That's how we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-full-of-change-that-s-how-we-learn-and-grow/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [You'll seldom experience regret for anything that you've done. It is what you haven't done that will torment you. The message, therefore, is clear.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-ll-seldom-experience-regret-for-anything-that-you-ve-done-it-is/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Scrabble - The game is available in Braille. That’s a nice fact. This makes me feel better about humanity for some reason. I can’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/scrabble-the-game-is-available-in-braille-that-s-a-nice-fact-this/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Everyone needs someone to love, and I choose you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/everyone-needs-someone-to-love-and-i-choose-you/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“THIS tale of my sore-troubled life I write,    To thank the God of nature, who conveyed    My soul to me, and with such care…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/this-tale-of-my-sore-troubled-life-i-write-to-thank-the-god-of-nature/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Put on my J's and dance the whole night away Im naughty by nature like Im hip-hop hooray With my hands in the sky,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/put-on-my-j-s-and-dance-the-whole-night-away-im-naughty-by-nature/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Me.. I have been through a lot, but I still manage to have a smile on my face. Im not worried about the past…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/me-i-have-been-through-a-lot-but-i-still-manage-to-have-a-smile-on-my/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Distance is a test of love. many will fail for those who can't withstand it, but for those who can, theres only one answer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/distance-is-a-test-of-love-many-will-fail-for-those-who-can-t/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Im sorry I ever tried...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/im-sorry-i-ever-tried/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Being betrayed by the one you love is the worst feeling in the world...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/being-betrayed-by-the-one-you-love-is-the-worst-feeling-in-the-world/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Let children support their parents or be imprisoned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/let-children-support-their-parents-or-be-imprisoned/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [The only person I've ever purposely caused pain here is myself...By simply sharing, caring too much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-only-person-i-ve-ever-purposely-caused-pain-here-is-myself-by/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“Start a business, not a startup”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/start-a-business-not-a-startup/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [The truth is, of course, that the curtness of the Ten Commandments is an evidence, not of the gloom and narrowness of a religion,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-truth-is-of-course-that-the-curtness-of-the-ten-commandments-is/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

[Explore all 162,899 Anonymous quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

## More Ability quotes

> [I don't think there's a direct correlation between my sexuality and my skiing ability. But I think because I was so concerned about it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gus-kenworthy/i-don-t-think-there-s-a-direct-correlation-between-my-sexuality-and/)

[Gus Kenworthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gus-kenworthy/)

> [“the importance of ability. The things that make a great job great, I discovered, are rare and valuable. If you want them in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/the-importance-of-ability-the-things-that-make-a-great-job-great-i/)

[Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/)

> [Ambition drives you on, ability certainly helps, but the fickle finger of fate and luck are great things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fergus-henderson/ambition-drives-you-on-ability-certainly-helps-but-the-fickle-finger/)

[Fergus Henderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fergus-henderson/)

> [The ability of the gospel to unite us on common strengths and common truths is one of the great miracles . . . of the gospel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-r-holland/the-ability-of-the-gospel-to-unite-us-on-common-strengths-and-common/)

[Jeffrey R. Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-r-holland/)

> [Maybe law enforcement would like the ability to turn on the camera on your Mac.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-cook/maybe-law-enforcement-would-like-the-ability-to-turn-on-the-camera-on/)

[Tim Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-cook/)

> [I've seen guys come along with more ability - they've been faster or bigger or stronger - but they never worked hard to develop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-largent/i-ve-seen-guys-come-along-with-more-ability-they-ve-been-faster-or/)

[Steve Largent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-largent/)

> [The youth of India has the strength to move the entire World with a click of a mouse, we have generated that ability!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/narendra-modi/the-youth-of-india-has-the-strength-to-move-the-entire-world-with-a/)

[Narendra Modi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/narendra-modi/)

> [Time hath not yet so dried this blood of mine, Nor age so eat up my invention, Nor fortune made such havoc of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/time-hath-not-yet-so-dried-this-blood-of-mine-nor-age-so-eat-up-my/)

[William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/)

> [An absolutely necessary part of a writer's equipment, almost as necessary as talent, is the ability to stand up under punishment, both the punishment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irwin-shaw/an-absolutely-necessary-part-of-a-writer-s-equipment-almost-as/)

[Irwin Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irwin-shaw/)

> [I'd be more frightened by not using whatever abilities I'd been given. I'd be more frightened by procrastination and laziness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denzel-washington/i-d-be-more-frightened-by-not-using-whatever-abilities-i-d-been-given/)

[Denzel Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denzel-washington/)

> [Bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. Take what I cannot give: my heart, body, thoughts, time, abilities, money, health, strength,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-prentiss/bring-into-captivity-every-thought-to-the-obedience-of-christ-take/)

[Elizabeth Prentiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-prentiss/)

> [You can only do the work to the very best of your ability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-baranski/you-can-only-do-the-work-to-the-very-best-of-your-ability/)

[Christine Baranski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-baranski/)

> [Judge a person not by his ability to make money but by his ability to retain it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/judge-a-person-not-by-his-ability-to-make-money-but-by-his-ability-to/)

[Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/)

> [Balance is the ability to be happy in the midst of the most chaotic or even boring or transient circumstance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/balance-is-the-ability-to-be-happy-in-the-midst-of-the-most-chaotic/)

[Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/)

> [Bobby had faith in my ability as a singer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-london/bobby-had-faith-in-my-ability-as-a-singer/)

[Julie London](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-london/)

[Browse all 9,990 Ability quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "The obligation to receive reduces our ability to choose whom we wish to be indebted to and puts that power in the hands of others.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Anonymous"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-obligation-to-receive-reduces-our-ability-to-choose-whom-we-wish/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Ability"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-obligation-to-receive-reduces-our-ability-to-choose-whom-we-wish/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd5/anonymous-1_ability_the-obligation-to-receive-reduces-our-ab_128284.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd5/anonymous-1_ability_the-obligation-to-receive-reduces-our-ab_128284.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd5/anonymous-1_ability_the-obligation-to-receive-reduces-our-ab_128284.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“The obligation to receive reduces our ability to choose whom we wish to be indebted to and puts that power…” — Anonymous",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Anonymous",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "The obligation to receive reduces our...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-obligation-to-receive-reduces-our-ability-to-choose-whom-we-wish/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-obligation-to-receive-reduces-our-ability-to-choose-whom-we-wish/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
