To be bound by duty; to consider something one's unshirkable responsibility; to feel a moral obligation that cannot be declined.
Era:
Ancient
Frequency:
Antonym:
Story:
During the Eastern Han Dynasty, Cao Cao, holding the emperor under his influence, launched a massive invasion against Sun Quan and Liu Bei. After suffering a major defeat at the Battle of Red Cliffs and subsequently regrouping, he once again personally led a large army south to attack the state of Wu.
Sun Quan convened his ministers to discuss counter-strategies. The strategist Zhang Zhao argued that it was crucial to form an alliance with Liu Bei, urging Liu Bei to send troops to jointly resist Cao Cao. He reasoned that given Liu Bei's close familial ties to Eastern Wu, resisting Cao Cao was his unshirkable duty.