--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If you don't know what to do with an…" description: "\"“If you don't know what to do with an answer, don't ask the question.”\" — Elif Shafak" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c6/elif-shafak-1594_answer_if-you-don-t-know-what-to-do-with-an-ans_2476492.jpg" --- # If you don't know what to do with an answer, don't ask the… ![“If you don't know what to do with an answer, don't ask the question.” quote by Elif Shafak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c6/elif-shafak-1594_answer_if-you-don-t-know-what-to-do-with-an-ans_2476492.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c6/elif-shafak-1594_answer_if-you-don-t-know-what-to-do-with-an-ans_2476492.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c6/elif-shafak-1594_answer_if-you-don-t-know-what-to-do-with-an-ans_2476492.jpg) > ““If you don't know what to do with an answer, don't ask the question.”” [Elif Shafak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elif-shafak/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. If you lack a purpose for an answer, you shouldn't pose the question. **In simple terms:** Ask purposeful questions. Key Takeaway Clarify intent before asking. Themes curiosity purpose questioning clarity Mood thoughtful inquisitive Type advice reflective When to use this quote - research - education - problem solving Key Concepts philosophical inquiry communication Questions to Reflect On - What purpose does your question serve? - How can you refine your inquiry? A Different Perspective Misguided questions waste time and resources. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Answer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/answer/) [Answer Don](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/answer-don-258485/) [Ask Question](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ask-question/) [Don Know](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/don-know/) [Know Answer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/know-answer/) ## Related quotes > [“The answer is already no, if you don't ask the question.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darryl-hurd/the-answer-is-already-no-if-you-don-t-ask-the-question/) [Darryl Hurd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darryl-hurd/) > [“You can't know the answer until you ask the question.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-e-smith/you-can-t-know-the-answer-until-you-ask-the-question/) [Jennifer E. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-e-smith/) > [Why ask a question If you already know The answer? That's like me walking into Taco-Bell And asking If they sell tacos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shelly-hatton/why-ask-a-question-if-you-already-know-the-answer-that-s-like-me/) [Shelly Hatton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shelly-hatton/) > [When you don't know what the answer is, you know \*Who\* the answer is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-burkett/when-you-don-t-know-what-the-answer-is-you-know-who-the-answer-is/) [Larry Burkett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-burkett/) > [“Never ask a question if you don’t know the answer.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rowena-cherry/never-ask-a-question-if-you-don-t-know-the-answer/) [Rowena Cherry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rowena-cherry/) > [Can I say something? Um, I'm the type of person that if you ask me a question and I don't know the answer, I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-smith/can-i-say-something-um-i-m-the-type-of-person-that-if-you-ask-me-a/) [Will Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-smith/) > [“Never ask a question if you don’t know the answer. — Rhett”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rowena-cherry/never-ask-a-question-if-you-don-t-know-the-answer-rhett/) [Rowena Cherry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rowena-cherry/) > [“Never ask how much I love you, cause the answer will be “I don’t know, I just do.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karuho-shiina/never-ask-how-much-i-love-you-cause-the-answer-will-be-i-don-t-know-i/) [Karuho Shiina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karuho-shiina/) > [Suicide is never the answer. 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It hits your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clayton-christensen/questions-are-places-in-your-mind-where-answers-fit-if-you-haven-t/) [Clayton Christensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clayton-christensen/) > [“Be sure you want the answer before you ask the question.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolyn-mcbride/be-sure-you-want-the-answer-before-you-ask-the-question/) [Carolyn McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carolyn-mcbride/) > [You ask me a question, I'm going to give you an honest answer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-roddick/you-ask-me-a-question-i-m-going-to-give-you-an-honest-answer/) [Andy Roddick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-roddick/) > [Is it a boy or a girl ?”. There is a great answer to that one going around : “We don’t know ; it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-bornstein/is-it-a-boy-or-a-girl-there-is-a-great-answer-to-that-one-going/) [Kate Bornstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-bornstein/) ## More by Elif Shafak > [“Od nje je naučio dvije osnovne stvari o ljubavi: prvo, da je, za razliku od onoga što romantici tako naduto tvrde, ljubav više postupan…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elif-shafak/od-nje-je-nau-io-dvije-osnovne-stvari-o-ljubavi-prvo-da-je-za-razliku/) [Elif Shafak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elif-shafak/) > [“Why roots were rated so highly compared with branches or leaves, Peri had never understood. Trees had multiple shoots and filaments extending in every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elif-shafak/why-roots-were-rated-so-highly-compared-with-branches-or-leaves-peri/) [Elif Shafak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elif-shafak/) > [“How could they be so certain of the superiority of their truths when they knew so little, if anything at all, about other cultures,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elif-shafak/how-could-they-be-so-certain-of-the-superiority-of-their-truths-when/) [Elif Shafak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elif-shafak/) > [“When you master a language, you are given the key to a castle. What you’ll find inside depends on you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elif-shafak/when-you-master-a-language-you-are-given-the-key-to-a-castle-what-you/) [Elif Shafak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elif-shafak/) > [“Her insanın erafında bir renk halesi vardır. Seninkini biliyor musun?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elif-shafak/her-insan-n-eraf-nda-bir-renk-halesi-vard-r-seninkini-biliyor-musun/) [Elif Shafak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elif-shafak/) > [“I'm not one of those pious types who spend their whole lives hunched on prayer rugs while their eyes and hearts remain closed to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elif-shafak/i-m-not-one-of-those-pious-types-who-spend-their-whole-lives-hunched/) [Elif Shafak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elif-shafak/) > [“England has a peculiar way of making foreigners feel exhilaratingly free and depressingly alone.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elif-shafak/england-has-a-peculiar-way-of-making-foreigners-feel-exhilaratingly/) [Elif Shafak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elif-shafak/) > [“There are things so awful in this world that the good-hearted people, may Allah bless them all, have absolutely no idea of. And that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elif-shafak/there-are-things-so-awful-in-this-world-that-the-good-hearted-people/) [Elif Shafak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elif-shafak/) > [“Irrationality is part of everyday rationale”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elif-shafak/irrationality-is-part-of-everyday-rationale/) [Elif Shafak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elif-shafak/) > [“In love, boundaries are blurred.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elif-shafak/in-love-boundaries-are-blurred/) [Elif Shafak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elif-shafak/) > [“It had just hit her why and how people could fall in love with Istanbul, in spite of all the sorrow it might cause…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elif-shafak/it-had-just-hit-her-why-and-how-people-could-fall-in-love-with/) [Elif Shafak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elif-shafak/) > [“Inside, I found three things: a silver mirror, a silk handkerchief, and a glass flask of ointment. 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Drinking, dancing, music, poetry, and painting”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elif-shafak/level-they-use-this-as-a-poor-excuse-to-disregard-the-rules-of-the/) [Elif Shafak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elif-shafak/) > [“In many parts of the world you were what you said and what you did and, also, what you read; in Turkey, as in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elif-shafak/in-many-parts-of-the-world-you-were-what-you-said-and-what-you-did/) [Elif Shafak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elif-shafak/) [Explore all 180 Elif Shafak quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elif-shafak/) ## More Answer quotes > [Sometimes a question can hurt more than an answer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/sometimes-a-question-can-hurt-more-than-an-answer/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [What you are is a question only you can answer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lois-mcmaster-bujold/what-you-are-is-a-question-only-you-can-answer/) [Lois McMaster Bujold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lois-mcmaster-bujold/) > [Enjoying life isn't about finding the answers, but living the questions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-margolis/enjoying-life-isn-t-about-finding-the-answers-but-living-the-questions/) [Sue Margolis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-margolis/) > [The boldness of asking deep questions may require unforeseen flexibility if we are to accept the answers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-greene/the-boldness-of-asking-deep-questions-may-require-unforeseen/) [Brian Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-greene/) > [“And if you can’t say yes, answer anyway. Because I’d rather live with the answer than die with the question.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-ellis/and-if-you-can-t-say-yes-answer-anyway-because-i-d-rather-live-with/) [Jon Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-ellis/) > [“There is a cure and answer to everything, we just haven't found them yet.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eve-halimi/there-is-a-cure-and-answer-to-everything-we-just-haven-t-found-them/) [Eve Halimi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eve-halimi/) > [Whenever I'm asked about Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi, I always answer: 'Neymar is the best,' not just because of his goals but because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roberto-carlos/whenever-i-m-asked-about-cristiano-ronaldo-or-lionel-messi-i-always/) [Roberto Carlos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roberto-carlos/) > [A wiki works best where you're trying to answer a question that you can't easily pose, where there's not a natural structure that's known…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ward-cunningham/a-wiki-works-best-where-you-re-trying-to-answer-a-question-that-you/) [Ward Cunningham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ward-cunningham/) > [“Those are good questions. I recognize good questions, because I can come up with them myself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-brust/those-are-good-questions-i-recognize-good-questions-because-i-can/) [Steven Brust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-brust/) > [My answer is bring 'em on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/my-answer-is-bring-em-on/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [I'll answer anything... I'm brutally honest, actually, which gets me in trouble.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-mclachlan/i-ll-answer-anything-i-m-brutally-honest-actually-which-gets-me-in/) [Sarah McLachlan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-mclachlan/) > [“...I guess I can put two and two together." 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