Obligations, Rights & FUability

Obligations, Rights & FUability

In the modern concept of rights developed in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, v  formulated as "life, liberty and property" (highjacked – jds into) or  "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness," rights transcend civil society, which then translates them into constitutional, civil, criminal, and property rights. In contrast, the traditional Jewish view on rights is derived from the biblical sense of the obligation of all humans to God as their creator, sovereign, and covenant partner.

Daniel Elazar

One of the so called power phrases that would resonate with my fee only personal financial planning first generation entrepreneurial closed held corporation clients when I was in practice was ‘becoming independent of their independent business.’

Why?

At first glance, it would not be surprising that 80%+ of their net worth was tied up in the business – so to have ‘enough’ required a conversion of this asset and the income from it – to passive investments to have enough and minimize the dependence of their corporation.

Now digging deeper below the surface, the quest to be independent of their independent business sequentially was in excavating

          To not be dependent

                   To not be a burden

                             For dignity & avoidance of humiliation

                                       To not be obliged

                                                To not be under any one’s thumb

                                                          To not take shit

                                                                    To have FUability

          But this sequence wasn’t particular at all to the first generation closed held corporation entrepreneur.

          Initially, when prioritizing personal financial planning objectives, it is not unusual for the goal of income replacement upon disability is ranked toward the bottom relative to the other goals of retirement, financial independence, education for the kids, income replacement for the spouse upon the client’s passing etc etc etc.

          However, when ranking – what is the payoff or what is avoided by achieving each of these goals – and reranking based not to the nake of the goal – but what is the payoff (gain) or avoidance, income replacement upon disability – unless the payoff or avoidance can be self insured with liquid assets – moves up close to the top. (Same holds true for capital depletion due to long term care costs for older clients).

          Why?

To not be dependent

                   To not be a burden

                             For dignity & avoidance of humiliation

                                       To not be obliged

                                                To not be under any one’s thumb

                                                          To not take shit

                                                                    To have FUability

         

Howdy Doody Do’s & Howdy Doody Don’ts

Howdy’s Do’s (Shoulds) and Don’ts (Should Nots) for kids

The Howdy Doody Show in the ‘50s (*)

         

We don’t wish to owe – to be owing – to be obliged. And yet, Judaically, we secure our rights by fulfilling our obligations. Furthermore, given man isn’t self sufficient but requires other people, reciprocity requires mutual fulfillment of obligations to each other. Being responsible is fulfilling our obligations – by agreement in action or stored energy (currency of past actions).

          To believers in G-d, we are given inalienable rights. Still these rights are maintained – fortified by our performing individually and as a country our obligatory responsibilities. Responsible dispatching of our obligations – what we owe – what we are obliged to – in reciprocation gains and maintains rights.

          And yet, it seems – the demanding for rights, new rights is based not on obligations in reciprocation being fulfilled but on the basis of entitlement – asserting being offended & victimized with an ever increasing shrillness & violence.

It’s coming to you?

When did you become the center of the universe, Mister?

My father, Ellis Schwartz to this writer age 9 over a cold hot dog

 at Howard Johnson’s

          Give me, buy me, take me, I deserve it – I demand it –it’s coming to me’ – it’s my right – even ‘you didn’t build it’ is the manifestation of rationalization of theft – taking without payment – avoidance of the responsibility of fulfilling obligations being obliged in the name of ‘rights.’

          The wrongs of rights.

          Obligation – being obliged – without reciprocation and or meaning – means ‘having to take it.’ Obligation as a means to meaning – sheds the imposed feeling – humiliation of being forced, compelled, coerced. Obligation in the line of meaning becomes in the call of duty.

When religion is all obligation and sans personal meaning – when the cup is more important than the coffee – 45% become religion resisters who ‘are not obliged – and ‘rightfully’ so.

When you change the way you look at things,

the things you look at change

Max Plank

Obligation is the call of Meaning

Aligning – realigning one’s means with meaning expresses/conveys the sense of grateful obligation.

Howdy Doody ‘Duty’

(*) Howdy Doody was the first nationally televised American children's TV program and a prototype for what followed. Buffalo Bob Smith hosts while the puppet, Howdy Doody, starred.