--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If you get the question right, if you…" description: "\"If you get the question right, if you really define it, then the answers are just sitting there waiting for you. And it's something a little different ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac6/jamie-hyneman-3349_answer_if-you-get-the-question-right-if-you-rea_2620159.png" --- # If you get the question right, if you really define it… ![“If you get the question right, if you really define it, then the answers are just sitting there waiting for you. And it's something a little different than people usually think.” quote by Jamie Hyneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac6/jamie-hyneman-3349_answer_if-you-get-the-question-right-if-you-rea_2620159.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac6/jamie-hyneman-3349_answer_if-you-get-the-question-right-if-you-rea_2620159.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac6/jamie-hyneman-3349_answer_if-you-get-the-question-right-if-you-rea_2620159.png) > “If you get the question right, if you really define it, then the answers are just sitting there waiting for you. And it's something a little different than people usually think.” [Jamie Hyneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-hyneman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Understanding a problem deeply reveals the solution that already exists, waiting to be recognized. **In simple terms:** Clear definition uncovers hidden answers. Key Takeaway Define the problem precisely. Themes problem solving clarity discovery Mood curious analytical Type inspirational practical When to use this quote - research - engineering - education - troubleshooting Key Concepts critical thinking epistemology cognitive psychology Questions to Reflect On - How does precise framing change your approach? - What assumptions are you overlooking? A Different Perspective If the problem is mis‑framed, the “answer” may be irrelevant. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Answer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/answer/) [Answers Just](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/answers-just-1363227/) [Define Answers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/define-answers-2104147/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [People Usually](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-usually/) [Question Right](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/question-right-937050/) [Right](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/right/) [Something](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/something/) [Think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think/) [Usually Think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/usually-think-926958/) [Waiting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/waiting/) ## Related quotes > [The question of who is right and who is wrong has seemed to me always too small to be worth a moment's thought, while…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-j-nock/the-question-of-who-is-right-and-who-is-wrong-has-seemed-to-me-always/) [Albert J. Nock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-j-nock/) > [You will find no answers here, just choices.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brent-weeks/you-will-find-no-answers-here-just-choices/) [Brent Weeks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brent-weeks/) > [I always question whether it's the right time for anything I do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-willis/i-always-question-whether-it-s-the-right-time-for-anything-i-do/) [Bruce Willis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-willis/) > [Sometimes the closest-held secrets in the world can be pried out by the right question at the right time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-kleypas/sometimes-the-closest-held-secrets-in-the-world-can-be-pried-out-by/) [Lisa Kleypas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-kleypas/) > [You have to trust your instincts and know that the right question or the right answer will come to you. You don’t always have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cat-deeley/you-have-to-trust-your-instincts-and-know-that-the-right-question-or/) [Cat Deeley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cat-deeley/) > [The Department of Justice is committed to asking one central question of everything we do: What is the right thing to do? Now that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-reno/the-department-of-justice-is-committed-to-asking-one-central-question/) [Janet Reno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-reno/) > [The question is not whether you have a right to render people miserable, but whether it is not in your best interest to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-burke/the-question-is-not-whether-you-have-a-right-to-render-people/) [Edmund Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-burke/) > [What's wrong vs Right with you It's not a question of what's wrong with you, it's a question of what's right with you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-duncan/what-s-wrong-vs-right-with-you-it-s-not-a-question-of-what-s-wrong/) [Al Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-duncan/) > [Honesty is a question of right and wrong, not a matter of policy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-de-montaigne/honesty-is-a-question-of-right-and-wrong-not-a-matter-of-policy/) [Michel de Montaigne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-de-montaigne/) > [To see what is right and not to do it is cowardice. It is never a question of who is right but what is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-buchan/to-see-what-is-right-and-not-to-do-it-is-cowardice-it-is-never-a/) [John Buchan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-buchan/) > [I have been asked this question over and over again: 'Dr. Jeremiah, do you think God is finished with America?' But that is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-jeremiah/i-have-been-asked-this-question-over-and-over-again-dr-jeremiah-do/) [David Jeremiah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-jeremiah/) > [Women do not like the question, why? Because he is only right to ask question](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mak-786/women-do-not-like-the-question-why-because-he-is-only-right-to-ask/) [Mak\_786](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mak-786/) > [When you get your,'Who am I?', question right, all of your,'What should I do?' questions tend to take care of themselves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rohr/when-you-get-your-who-am-i-question-right-all-of-your-what-should-i/) [Richard Rohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rohr/) > [We don't have a right to ask whether we're going to succeed or not. The only question we have a right to ask is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-berry/we-don-t-have-a-right-to-ask-whether-we-re-going-to-succeed-or-not/) [Wendell Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-berry/) > [I have all the answers, it's just that most of them aren't right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-cook/i-have-all-the-answers-it-s-just-that-most-of-them-aren-t-right/) [Rick Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-cook/) ## More by Jamie Hyneman > [I really didn't think this was going to be a success. We did the first three episodes and I said to Adam, 'I can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-hyneman/i-really-didn-t-think-this-was-going-to-be-a-success-we-did-the-first/) [Jamie Hyneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-hyneman/) > [Neither Adam or I are scientists, we're not engineers or anything of the sort. We just have a lot of fun and the thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-hyneman/neither-adam-or-i-are-scientists-we-re-not-engineers-or-anything-of/) [Jamie Hyneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-hyneman/) > [If you build a robot, you're welding, machining sculpting, casting, dealing with electronics and hydraulics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-hyneman/if-you-build-a-robot-you-re-welding-machining-sculpting-casting/) [Jamie Hyneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-hyneman/) > [If I had one word to describe how I feel at never having to work with co-host Adam Savage again it'd be relief.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-hyneman/if-i-had-one-word-to-describe-how-i-feel-at-never-having-to-work-with/) [Jamie Hyneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-hyneman/) > [I pretty much just use my smartphone for phone calls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-hyneman/i-pretty-much-just-use-my-smartphone-for-phone-calls/) [Jamie Hyneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-hyneman/) > [I mean, we're - if I may say so - we're experts at using materials and processes in ways for which they were never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-hyneman/i-mean-we-re-if-i-may-say-so-we-re-experts-at-using-materials-and/) [Jamie Hyneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-hyneman/) > [You know, when you look carefully at stuff that you deal with everyday, applying a little creativity to it and thinking outside the box,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-hyneman/you-know-when-you-look-carefully-at-stuff-that-you-deal-with-everyday/) [Jamie Hyneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-hyneman/) > [We got a lot of gay fan mail when the show first started. Something to do with being in San Francisco and being a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-hyneman/we-got-a-lot-of-gay-fan-mail-when-the-show-first-started-something-to/) [Jamie Hyneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-hyneman/) > [I'm like a race horse attached to a freight wagon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-hyneman/i-m-like-a-race-horse-attached-to-a-freight-wagon/) [Jamie Hyneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-hyneman/) > [Running out of material for 'MythBusters' is like saying, 'We've done everything we could possibly do and we're not curious or interested in anything.'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-hyneman/running-out-of-material-for-mythbusters-is-like-saying-we-ve-done/) [Jamie Hyneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-hyneman/) > [I don't think our death ray is working. I'm standing right in it, and I'm not dead yet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-hyneman/i-don-t-think-our-death-ray-is-working-i-m-standing-right-in-it-and-i/) [Jamie Hyneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-hyneman/) > [There are a lot of scientists or other people who can be very skeptical or rational within their field, but they may well not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-hyneman/there-are-a-lot-of-scientists-or-other-people-who-can-be-very/) [Jamie Hyneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-hyneman/) > [As it turns out, one of the biggest choices we have doing the show is deciding the tangents we are allowed to take, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-hyneman/as-it-turns-out-one-of-the-biggest-choices-we-have-doing-the-show-is/) [Jamie Hyneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-hyneman/) > [One of our neighbors is a salami distributor, and they pretty well - I mean, we used their salami to make a rocket engine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-hyneman/one-of-our-neighbors-is-a-salami-distributor-and-they-pretty-well-i/) [Jamie Hyneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-hyneman/) > [It's the results that are surprising, even results where we've totally screwed up, and then learned something in the process, are the ones that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-hyneman/it-s-the-results-that-are-surprising-even-results-where-we-ve-totally/) [Jamie Hyneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-hyneman/) [Explore all 133 Jamie Hyneman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-hyneman/) ## 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": "If you get the question right, if you really define it, then the answers are just sitting there waiting for you. 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