A correct answer is like an affectionate kiss.

The line likens intellectual rightness to physical tenderness: a “correct answer” is not merely accurate but satisfying, intimate, and emotionally affirming—something that lands with the warmth of human connection. Read this way, Goethe suggests that truth (or at least aptness) has an aesthetic and affective dimension: it can please, reassure, and create rapport between speaker and listener, teacher and student, or lovers in conversation. The simile also implies immediacy: like a kiss, a good answer can feel decisive and complete, ending uncertainty with a small act of closeness. The image elevates everyday correctness into a moment of shared delight.