--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The answers were maddeningly absent—it…" description: "\"The answers were maddeningly absent—it was like trying to remember a song that you knew made you feel a certain way, without a title, artist, or even a..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/547/jennifer-egan-825_absent_the-answers-were-maddeningly-absent-it-w_1947621.jpg" --- # The answers were maddeningly absent—it was like trying to… ![“The answers were maddeningly absent—it was like trying to remember a song that you knew made you feel a certain way, without a title, artist, or even a few bars to bring it back.” quote by Jennifer Egan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/547/jennifer-egan-825_absent_the-answers-were-maddeningly-absent-it-w_1947621.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/547/jennifer-egan-825_absent_the-answers-were-maddeningly-absent-it-w_1947621.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/547/jennifer-egan-825_absent_the-answers-were-maddeningly-absent-it-w_1947621.jpg) > “The answers were maddeningly absent—it was like trying to remember a song that you knew made you feel a certain way, without a title, artist, or even a few bars to bring it back.” [Jennifer Egan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-egan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Describes the frustration of trying to recall a feeling without concrete details. **In simple terms:** Hard to remember feelings without specifics. Key Takeaway Seek concrete cues to retrieve memories. Themes memory frustration search creativity Mood reflective thoughtful Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - writing - creative brainstorming - problem solving Key Concepts cognitive psychology nostalgia Questions to Reflect On - What anchors help you recall feelings? - How can you capture fleeting emotions? A Different Perspective Memory retrieval can be limited by lack of anchors. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song/) ## Related quotes > [The absent are like children, helpless to defend themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-reade/the-absent-are-like-children-helpless-to-defend-themselves/) [Charles Reade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-reade/) > [Popular music usually has a chorus that needs to repeat, and people need to remember the song. That's sort of the major guideline when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-ebert/popular-music-usually-has-a-chorus-that-needs-to-repeat-and-people/) [Alex Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-ebert/) > [When a song blows your mind the first time you hear it, you don't know where it's going. It's blowing your mind as it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ariel-pink/when-a-song-blows-your-mind-the-first-time-you-hear-it-you-don-t-know/) [Ariel Pink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ariel-pink/) > [When I was young, I remember the first song I danced to was 'Akhiyan Milaon,' because I am a big fan of Madhuri Dixit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kriti-sanon/when-i-was-young-i-remember-the-first-song-i-danced-to-was-akhiyan/) [Kriti Sanon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kriti-sanon/) > [I remember the audition process for Xena: Warrior Princess; I was driving there and I was listening to The Cranberries' "Dreams," so I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/selma-blair/i-remember-the-audition-process-for-xena-warrior-princess-i-was/) [Selma Blair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/selma-blair/) > [I've always been talented, always been able to sing or remember a song after hearing it one time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-i-d/i-ve-always-been-talented-always-been-able-to-sing-or-remember-a-song/) J.I.D > [Whatever I have sung over the years, people remember the song first by the 'dhun' and words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kumar-sanu/whatever-i-have-sung-over-the-years-people-remember-the-song-first-by/) [Kumar Sanu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kumar-sanu/) > [Remember, My Song...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-nickel/remember-my-song/) [Eric Nickel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-nickel/) > [“I remember a song we used to sing, "Columbia, Gem of the Ocean." But I thought it was, "Columbus, Jump in the Ocean.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-see/i-remember-a-song-we-used-to-sing-columbia-gem-of-the-ocean-but-i/) [Lisa See](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-see/) > [How that one person, Can bring up all of your fears, And drive you to tears. I stand here shaking, thinking about all of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/how-that-one-person-can-bring-up-all-of-your-fears-and-drive-you-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Do you remember the song that was playing the night we met? No, but I remember every song I have heard since you left.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lang-leav/do-you-remember-the-song-that-was-playing-the-night-we-met-no-but-i/) [Lang Leav](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lang-leav/) > [I remember a song I did called 'If the Good Die Young' - I wanted to have a lead guitar solo on there, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracy-lawrence/i-remember-a-song-i-did-called-if-the-good-die-young-i-wanted-to-have/) [Tracy Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracy-lawrence/) > [What song do I like to sing at karaoke? Well, it used to be...what's that song? 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I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-egan/i-had-this-idea-that-i-could-hire-myself-out-as-a-person-to-go-on/) [Jennifer Egan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-egan/) > [At night, the house thick with sleep, she would peer out her bedroom window at the trees and sky and feel the presence of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-egan/at-night-the-house-thick-with-sleep-she-would-peer-out-her-bedroom/) [Jennifer Egan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-egan/) > [I number my drafts, and by the time a book is done, I'll have 75 or 80 drafts of some sections.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-egan/i-number-my-drafts-and-by-the-time-a-book-is-done-i-ll-have-75-or-80/) [Jennifer Egan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-egan/) > [Read at the level at which you want to write. Reading is the nourishment that feeds the kind of writing you want to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-egan/read-at-the-level-at-which-you-want-to-write-reading-is-the/) [Jennifer Egan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-egan/) > [I was a stepchild in two different families. The hardest thing about being a stepchild is you know that in some way everything would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-egan/i-was-a-stepchild-in-two-different-families-the-hardest-thing-about-2/) [Jennifer Egan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-egan/) [Explore all 358 Jennifer Egan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-egan/) ## More Absent quotes > [Majority decisions tend to be made without engaging the systematic thought and critical thinking skills of the individuals in the group. 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