The noblest relationship is marriage, that is, love. Its nobility resides in its altruism, the desire to serve another beyond all the pleasures of the relationship; and in its refusal ever to regard the other as a thing, an object, a utilizability. Sex is an exchange of pleasures, of needs; love is a giving without return. It is this giving without return, this helping without reward, this surplus of pure good, that identifies the uniqueness of man as well as the true nature of the true marriage. This is the quintessence the great alchemy of sex is for.

I have a core set of deep, loving, supportive relationships. I am consistently able to be the partner, parent, family member, and friend that I would want to have. I have a network of loose relationships I can learn from and build on. I have a deep feeling of connection to a community (local, regional, national, spiritual, and so on) or to something bigger than myself. I do not attempt to achieve status, respect, or admiration through material purchases.

Remember that the best relationship is one in which your love for each other exceeds your need for each other.

The most important personal ‘core competence’ by far is a rich set of relationships.

The greatest romantic relationships are when both people think they're the one who got lucky

our most meaningful relationships are so often those that continued beyond the very juncture at which they came the closest to ending.

Double down on your best relationship.

It's the investment with the highest return.

Our most meaningful relationships are based on a longing for expansion rather than a preoccupation with comfort and security. To live exuberantly — to fully know and be fully known by another — we must be prepared to illuminate the dark spots in our most intimate relationships and in our selves.

The best relationships are between two people who need nothing but want to give each other everything.

The most empowering relationships are those in which each partner lifts the other to a higher possession of their own being.

The best relationships are peer relationships.

When given power over others, our ego justifies it by assuming we are smarter.

Better to have people work with us than for us.

Better motivated on the wrong thing than unmotivated on the right thing.

Debate rather than dictate.

Our most meaningful relationships are often those that continued beyond the juncture at which they came closest to ending.

The best relationships are peer relationships.

A long-lived relationship is about so many things. It is such a dense and complex process — always a process — and it's not to be summed up. It's not to be turned into some kind of vignette. If we are serious, we also have to recognize that even the longest and richest and densest relationship must end, and we see it around us. We see it in that inevitability of time's power, if you will.