It means that spiritual people, at least those who tend to say stuff like that over and over again, are full of shit and hypocrisy. They can’t love you, not yet, so they can’t give you what you need, and instead they are giving you what they need, which is what they think you need.

After their run-ins with spirituality they fell in love with themselves in the wrong, superficial way and thus tend to think of themselves as wonderful, beautiful beings full of beautiful energy. Some even call themselves divine. If you say something like that to them, they will almost orgasm. So they think you need the same thing from them, even if what you need is a bagel and a cup of tea. Or some other kind of help, emotionally or otherwise.

They are so full of themselves, they can’t even see that you obviously aren’t appreciating the complement, and your idea of friendship is not at all based on mutual flattery. Otherwise you wouldn’t be asking this question.

Find friends who give you what you need, not what they need, and do the same to them! That’s love.