Daily Inspiration Quote by Richard Bach

Bach’s line reads like a love sentence scrubbed clean of romance cliches, and that restraint is the point. He doesn’t lead with passion or destiny; he leads with respect. The desire isn’t simply to be loved, but to be chosen by someone whose judgment matters. That’s a quietly high bar: intimacy is framed as an ethical and intellectual proximity, not just emotional warmth.

The subtext is a double hunger. First, for closeness that doesn’t diminish the self. “Very close” can sound like fusion, but the conditions Bach sets - “someone I respect and admire” - insist on separation and standards. You can’t admire what you’ve reduced. Second, for reciprocity that feels earned. “Somebody who feels the same way about me” isn’t vanity so much as a plea for symmetry: if I’m going to risk devotion, let it be reflected back in kind.

As a novelist associated with spiritual-leaning, self-actualization narratives (the kind of author for whom flight becomes metaphor), Bach’s context matters. His work often treats relationships as extensions of personal evolution: partners as mirrors, not anchors; connection as a form of practice. In that light, the quote sidesteps the more possessive versions of romance. It’s not “complete me,” it’s “meet me.” The intent is aspirational and a little defensive: love, yes, but love that validates your best self, not your most needy one. The line works because it makes intimacy sound like a mutual meritocracy - comforting, demanding, and just vulnerable enough to admit the fear of being admired by the wrong person.