To do something helpful or kind for someone; to do what someone asks or requires.
From Latin obligare, combining 'ob-' (toward) and 'ligare' (to bind). The word literally means 'to bind toward,' suggesting an obligation or constraint.
When you oblige someone, you're literally 'binding' yourself to their needs—and in psychology, people who help others often become more connected to them, so the metaphor of binding is actually about creating relationship bonds.
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