I hate people who say "the world doesn't owe you anything"

In my view, if you follow such a philosophy then what are the thoughts regarding the reverse of such a statement? I would simply retort with; does that mean that i owe the world nothing then? After all it seems a bit of a vague, nondescript thing to say. I think phrases like these are best taken with a pinch of salt and sometimes tact goes a long way - if you treat people with respect and compassion surely such phrases wouldn't be important anyway? As long as you know you are a good person who cares what others think?

Obligations as in the context of the orginal post are voluntary in that I can chose to undertake them or not. I am obligated to perform certain duties to my employer, as my employer is obligated to pay me. Those obligations exist because of a mutal voluntary agreement. I can walk off the job if I want to do so, I just know that taking that action negates my employer's obligation to pay me.

I obligated by the laws of this society, I can choose to obey them or not and suffer the consequences as proscribed in said laws. If I do not agree with our social contract, I can renounce my citizenship and sign up for another social contract elsewhere etc...

Point being is that only I as an adult decide what obligations I undertake and what obligations I will not, knowing my decisions will have differing outcomes. Choosing to participate in a society is voluntary unless you are living in a repressive dictatorship with mined and walled borders.

I

there are different kinds of love. When you say you love people abstractly, I think you mean agape love, the kind of love one has
for his/her fellow human beings. But you protect yoursef and are selective about who comes into you inner circle of friends and loved ones because it is sacred to you. I respect that.