--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Before you ask more questions, think…" description: "\"Before you ask more questions, think about whether you really want to know the answers.\" — Gene Wolfe" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/42a/gene-wolfe-2530_answer_before-you-ask-more-questions-think-abou_2502015.jpg" --- # Before you ask more questions, think about whether you… ![“Before you ask more questions, think about whether you really want to know the answers.” quote by Gene Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/42a/gene-wolfe-2530_answer_before-you-ask-more-questions-think-abou_2502015.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/42a/gene-wolfe-2530_answer_before-you-ask-more-questions-think-abou_2502015.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/42a/gene-wolfe-2530_answer_before-you-ask-more-questions-think-abou_2502015.jpg) > “Before you ask more questions, think about whether you really want to know the answers.” [Gene Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-wolfe/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Before seeking answers, assess whether the knowledge truly matters to you. **In simple terms:** Ask yourself if you really want to know. Key Takeaway Question the purpose of curiosity. Themes curiosity self‑reflection knowledge Mood contemplative serious Type philosophical advice When to use this quote - research decisions - personal dilemmas - ethical inquiries Key Concepts motivation information value Questions to Reflect On - What drives your desire for answers? - When is it okay to stay uninformed? A Different Perspective Sometimes ignorance is protective. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Answer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/answer/) [Answers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/answers/) [Ask questions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ask-questions/) [Asks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/asks/) [Know Answers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/know-answers/) [Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows/) [Questions Think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/questions-think-416382/) [Think Really](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-really/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Truth Seeking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth-seeking/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/) [Want Know](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want-know/) ## Related quotes > [You shouldn't ask questions you don't really want to know the answers to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/you-shouldn-t-ask-questions-you-don-t-really-want-to-know-the-answers/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [“Do not ask questions until you have trained yourself not to know the answers.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-gardner/do-not-ask-questions-until-you-have-trained-yourself-not-to-know-the/) [Jack Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-gardner/) > [“Wise are those who keep asking questions when everyone around them think they know the answers.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-bartell/wise-are-those-who-keep-asking-questions-when-everyone-around-them/) [J. Bartell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-bartell/) > [If I watch something, I want to be wondering what is going to happen next; I want to be engaged in a way that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ewen-bremner/if-i-watch-something-i-want-to-be-wondering-what-is-going-to-happen/) [Ewen Bremner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ewen-bremner/) > [Kids ask me questions. You'd think after doing this for four years, I would have heard every single question anyone could think of to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-riordan/kids-ask-me-questions-you-d-think-after-doing-this-for-four-years-i/) [Rick Riordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-riordan/) > [Ask questions if you really want to know the answers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lexi-ainsworth/ask-questions-if-you-really-want-to-know-the-answers/) [Lexi Ainsworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lexi-ainsworth/) > [As does every young man studying philosophy, I naturally asked myself questions about the truth of all this, and about the meaning of freedom,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-trudeau/as-does-every-young-man-studying-philosophy-i-naturally-asked-myself/) [Pierre Trudeau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-trudeau/) > [Cynics know the answers without having penetrated deeply enough to know the questions. When challenged by mysterious truths, they marshall 'facts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-ferguson/cynics-know-the-answers-without-having-penetrated-deeply-enough-to/) [Marilyn Ferguson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-ferguson/) > [Just when you think you know the answers, I change the questions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/just-when-you-think-you-know-the-answers-i-change-the-questions/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You already know the answers of your questions. But the answers bring pain, that's why you choose not to believe them](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-already-know-the-answers-of-your-questions-but-the-answers-bring/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“I want to know you. You seem like someone worth knowing. Every day I feel like I’m surrounded by people with hard edges and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-o-connell-2/i-want-to-know-you-you-seem-like-someone-worth-knowing-every-day-i/) [Ryan O Connell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-o-connell-2/) > [I would have young dancers come to me and ask me questions and want to know what my experiences were like: 'What's it like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/misty-copeland/i-would-have-young-dancers-come-to-me-and-ask-me-questions-and-want/) [Misty Copeland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/misty-copeland/) > [“I do not want to know things, I want to understand things. I want to answer every question ever posed me. I want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mackenzi-lee/i-do-not-want-to-know-things-i-want-to-understand-things-i-want-to/) [Mackenzi Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mackenzi-lee/) > [What makes us human, I think, is an ability to ask questions, a consequence of our sophisticated spoken language.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-goodall/what-makes-us-human-i-think-is-an-ability-to-ask-questions-a/) [Jane Goodall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-goodall/) > [I was allowed to believe things that weren't true and I would ask questions about them and talk about them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marjorie-taylor-greene/i-was-allowed-to-believe-things-that-weren-t-true-and-i-would-ask/) [Marjorie Taylor Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marjorie-taylor-greene/) ## More by Gene Wolfe > [Some writers say they cannot write in front of a window; many say they cannot function without almost perfect quiet. A writer with only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-wolfe/some-writers-say-they-cannot-write-in-front-of-a-window-many-say-they/) [Gene Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-wolfe/) > [“Sometimes driven aground by the photon storms, by the swirling of the galaxies, clockwise and counterclockwise, ticking with light down the dark sea-corridors lined…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-wolfe/sometimes-driven-aground-by-the-photon-storms-by-the-swirling-of-the/) [Gene Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-wolfe/) > [Ambiguity is necessary in some of my stories, not in all. In those, it certainly contributes to the richness of the story. I doubt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-wolfe/ambiguity-is-necessary-in-some-of-my-stories-not-in-all-in-those-it/) [Gene Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-wolfe/) > [“There are beings—and artifacts—against which we batter our intelligence raw, and in the end make peace with reality only by saying, “It was an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-wolfe/there-are-beings-and-artifacts-against-which-we-batter-our/) [Gene Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-wolfe/) > [Science has so accustomed us to devising and accepting theories to account for the facts we observe, however fantastic, that our minds must begin…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-wolfe/science-has-so-accustomed-us-to-devising-and-accepting-theories-to/) [Gene Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-wolfe/) > [“The experienced feel love or desire, or both. The inexperienced are sick with a thousand feelings, most of them unformed: fearful that they may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-wolfe/the-experienced-feel-love-or-desire-or-both-the-inexperienced-are/) [Gene Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-wolfe/) > [“For those who have never attended a science fiction convention, masquerades are features of most of the larger ones. Awards are presented for best…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-wolfe/for-those-who-have-never-attended-a-science-fiction-convention/) [Gene Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-wolfe/) > [“He had a wild yellow beard and long, tangled hair that stood out from his head in a way that made it seem too…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-wolfe/he-had-a-wild-yellow-beard-and-long-tangled-hair-that-stood-out-from/) [Gene Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-wolfe/) > [ ...in some situations winning consist\[s\] of disentangling oneself. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-wolfe/in-some-situations-winning-consist-s-of-disentangling-oneself/) [Gene Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-wolfe/) > [“For after all, if the lives of most men are examined in detail, it will be found that they have been experts of immense…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-wolfe/for-after-all-if-the-lives-of-most-men-are-examined-in-detail-it-will/) [Gene Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-wolfe/) > [You never learn how to write a novel. You just learn how to write the novel that you're writing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-wolfe/you-never-learn-how-to-write-a-novel-you-just-learn-how-to-write-the/) [Gene Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-wolfe/) > [There is no magic. There is only knowledge, more or less hidden.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-wolfe/there-is-no-magic-there-is-only-knowledge-more-or-less-hidden/) [Gene Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-wolfe/) > [“...the progress of science depends much less upon either theoretical considerations or systematic investigation than is commonly believed, but rather on the transmittal of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-wolfe/the-progress-of-science-depends-much-less-upon-either-theoretical/) [Gene Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-wolfe/) > [“Whatever we may say, all of us suffer from disturbed sleep at times. Some in truth hardly sleep, though some who sleep copiously swear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-wolfe/whatever-we-may-say-all-of-us-suffer-from-disturbed-sleep-at-times/) [Gene Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-wolfe/) > [“. . .Consciousness came and went. Consciousness went and came like the errant winds of spring, and I, who so often have had difficulty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-wolfe/consciousness-came-and-went-consciousness-went-and-came-like-the/) [Gene Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-wolfe/) [Explore all 160 Gene Wolfe quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-wolfe/) ## 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." "Sometimes the answer's four," I said, "and sometimes it's twenty-two...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dashiell-hammett/i-guess-i-can-put-two-and-two-together-sometimes-the-answer-s-four-i/) [Dashiell Hammett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dashiell-hammett/) > [Jumping someone is never the answer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/jumping-someone-is-never-the-answer/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I play along myself, even though I can't help the player. So I can't say what I think the answer might be. But I'll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paddy-mcguinness/i-play-along-myself-even-though-i-can-t-help-the-player-so-i-can-t/) [Paddy McGuinness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paddy-mcguinness/) > [Sometimes the question is complicated, but the answers are simple.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-suess/sometimes-the-question-is-complicated-but-the-answers-are-simple/) [Dr Suess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dr-suess/) [Browse all 2,090 Answer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/answer/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Before you ask more questions, think about whether you really want to know the answers.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Gene Wolfe" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-wolfe/before-you-ask-more-questions-think-about-whether-you-really-want-to/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Answer" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-wolfe/before-you-ask-more-questions-think-about-whether-you-really-want-to/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/42a/gene-wolfe-2530_answer_before-you-ask-more-questions-think-abou_2502015.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/42a/gene-wolfe-2530_answer_before-you-ask-more-questions-think-abou_2502015.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/42a/gene-wolfe-2530_answer_before-you-ask-more-questions-think-abou_2502015.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Before you ask more questions, think about whether you really want to know the answers.” — Gene Wolfe", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Gene Wolfe", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-wolfe/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Before you ask more questions, think...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-wolfe/before-you-ask-more-questions-think-about-whether-you-really-want-to/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-wolfe/before-you-ask-more-questions-think-about-whether-you-really-want-to/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```