By saying one is obligated to someone else, I think it implies that the reciprocal action by the receiver would require compromising one's own happiness in some

By saying one is obligated to someone else, I think it implies that the reciprocal action by the receiver would require compromising one's own happiness in some way. By that token, I think this statement is totally reasonable because ultimately, both parties lose some of their own happiness. That was probably an outcome neither of them wanted.