--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It's as if they take all our questions…" description: "\"“It's as if they take all our questions and offer them straight back: Who are you? Why are you here? What do you want?”\" — Shaun Tan" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5cf/shaun-tan-27832_questions_it-s-as-if-they-take-all-our-questions-a_180689.jpg" --- # It's as if they take all our questions and offer them… ![“It's as if they take all our questions and offer them straight back: Who are you? Why are you here? What do you want?” quote by Shaun Tan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5cf/shaun-tan-27832_questions_it-s-as-if-they-take-all-our-questions-a_180689.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5cf/shaun-tan-27832_questions_it-s-as-if-they-take-all-our-questions-a_180689.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5cf/shaun-tan-27832_questions_it-s-as-if-they-take-all-our-questions-a_180689.jpg) > ““It's as if they take all our questions and offer them straight back: Who are you? Why are you here? What do you want?”” [Shaun Tan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaun-tan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The narrative reflects existential questioning about identity and purpose. **In simple terms:** Questions about self and purpose. Key Takeaway Explore who you are and why. Themes identity purpose existence Mood contemplative curious Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - personal growth - artistic expression - spiritual journeys Key Concepts self‑inquiry meaning seeking Questions to Reflect On - What defines your purpose? - How do you respond to existential doubt? A Different Perspective Answers may be elusive and subjective. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Questions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/questions/) ## Related quotes > [Besides, I have a sister who's straight. And I want her to know that I love her and support her.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-butler/besides-i-have-a-sister-who-s-straight-and-i-want-her-to-know-that-i/) [Dan Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-butler/) > [I don't care what level you are, there is the need to offer straight talk when you're working with clients. You have to have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-sweet/i-don-t-care-what-level-you-are-there-is-the-need-to-offer-straight/) [Julie Sweet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-sweet/) > [I want in my films to pose questions, not to offer answers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-rohrwacher/i-want-in-my-films-to-pose-questions-not-to-offer-answers/) [Alice Rohrwacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-rohrwacher/) > [Curiosity is the essence of human existence. 'Who are we? Where are we? Where do we come from? Where are we going?'... I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/curiosity-is-the-essence-of-human-existence-who-are-we-where-are-we/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I never felt I had questions or needed answers or had a part of me that was missing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-biles/i-never-felt-i-had-questions-or-needed-answers-or-had-a-part-of-me/) [Simone Biles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-biles/) > ['SoulPancake' is a website that I founded with a couple of friends, and it is for exploring life's big questions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainn-wilson/soulpancake-is-a-website-that-i-founded-with-a-couple-of-friends-and/) [Rainn Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainn-wilson/) > [I follow a simple formula when I compose. I ask myself, 'What would the audience want to hear?' and 'Why would they buy my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-r-rahman/i-follow-a-simple-formula-when-i-compose-i-ask-myself-what-would-the/) [A. R. Rahman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-r-rahman/) > [I think if you're too embroiled in the need to relate too closely to the character, then you start to judge the character for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cate-blanchett/i-think-if-you-re-too-embroiled-in-the-need-to-relate-too-closely-to/) [Cate Blanchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cate-blanchett/) > [I take my laptop with me on the road. When I come home, I log onto AOL, go to the Web site, and answer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/butch-trucks/i-take-my-laptop-with-me-on-the-road-when-i-come-home-i-log-onto-aol/) [Butch Trucks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/butch-trucks/) > [All the questions, all the speculation, No. 2 driver and so on, it doesn't get to me. It doesn't matter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/valtteri-bottas/all-the-questions-all-the-speculation-no-2-driver-and-so-on-it-doesn/) [Valtteri Bottas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/valtteri-bottas/) > [“Love first; ask questions later.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-courtney/love-first-ask-questions-later/) [Jeremy Courtney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-courtney/) > [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/) > [“The best questions are ones never asked.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-cory-molloy/the-best-questions-are-ones-never-asked/) Robert Cory Molloy > [The book is not simply the object that one holds in one's hands, and it cannot remain within the little parallelpiped that contains it:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-foucault/the-book-is-not-simply-the-object-that-one-holds-in-one-s-hands-and/) [Michel Foucault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-foucault/) > [At minimum, we must recognize that there are legitimate, unanswered questions about whether the Obama Justice Department involved themselves in a political project targeting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-meadows/at-minimum-we-must-recognize-that-there-are-legitimate-unanswered/) [Mark Meadows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-meadows/) ## More by Shaun Tan > [I'm often wary of using the word 'inspiration' to introduce my work -- it sounds too much like a sun shower from the heavens,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaun-tan/i-m-often-wary-of-using-the-word-inspiration-to-introduce-my-work-it/) [Shaun Tan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaun-tan/) > [“The green painted concrete out in front of the house, which at first seemed like a novel way to save money on lawn-moving, was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaun-tan/the-green-painted-concrete-out-in-front-of-the-house-which-at-first/) [Shaun Tan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaun-tan/) > [Depression is the flip side of creative inspiration but it can be useful. It's telling you to stop for a little bit. You can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaun-tan/depression-is-the-flip-side-of-creative-inspiration-but-it-can-be/) [Shaun Tan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaun-tan/) > [“There is an implicit recognition here that important things in life are not always immediately visible, and can't always be named, or even fully…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaun-tan/there-is-an-implicit-recognition-here-that-important-things-in-life/) [Shaun Tan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaun-tan/) > [“terrible fates are inevitable”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaun-tan/terrible-fates-are-inevitable/) [Shaun Tan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaun-tan/) > [What I love about Inuit carving is that it's so narrative, but it doesn't have the temporal dimension of an illustrated picture, where it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaun-tan/what-i-love-about-inuit-carving-is-that-it-s-so-narrative-but-it/) [Shaun Tan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaun-tan/) > [I don't get really inspired the way some people do, buzzing with ideas - it feels like hard work to me... but once I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaun-tan/i-don-t-get-really-inspired-the-way-some-people-do-buzzing-with-ideas/) [Shaun Tan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaun-tan/) > [“Why do I always listen to your insane plans? Why aren't we at home watching TV like everyone else? What possible difference will any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaun-tan/why-do-i-always-listen-to-your-insane-plans-why-aren-t-we-at-home/) [Shaun Tan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaun-tan/) > [“without sense or reason”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaun-tan/without-sense-or-reason/) [Shaun Tan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaun-tan/) > [“It's funny how these days, when every household has its own inter-continental ballistic missile, you hardly even think about them. . . . A…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaun-tan/it-s-funny-how-these-days-when-every-household-has-its-own-inter/) [Shaun Tan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaun-tan/) > [You discover how confounding the world is when you try to draw it. You look at a car, and you try to see its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaun-tan/you-discover-how-confounding-the-world-is-when-you-try-to-draw-it-you/) [Shaun Tan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaun-tan/) > [The Federal Department of Odds and Ends: sweepus underum carpetae.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaun-tan/the-federal-department-of-odds-and-ends-sweepus-underum-carpetae/) [Shaun Tan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaun-tan/) > [As an artist, even if you are putting out something really dark and disturbing, that's good because it's opening a discussion. Always in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaun-tan/as-an-artist-even-if-you-are-putting-out-something-really-dark-and/) [Shaun Tan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaun-tan/) > [So you want to hear a story? Well, I used to know a whole lot of pretty interesting ones. Some of them so funny…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaun-tan/so-you-want-to-hear-a-story-well-i-used-to-know-a-whole-lot-of-pretty/) [Shaun Tan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaun-tan/) > [Today is the tomorrow you were promised yesterday.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaun-tan/today-is-the-tomorrow-you-were-promised-yesterday/) [Shaun Tan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaun-tan/) [Explore all 20 Shaun Tan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaun-tan/) ## More Questions quotes > [At minimum, we must recognize that there are legitimate, unanswered questions about whether the Obama Justice Department involved themselves in a political project targeting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-meadows/at-minimum-we-must-recognize-that-there-are-legitimate-unanswered/) [Mark Meadows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-meadows/) > [The book is not simply the object that one holds in one's hands, and it cannot remain within the little parallelpiped that contains it:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-foucault/the-book-is-not-simply-the-object-that-one-holds-in-one-s-hands-and/) [Michel Foucault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-foucault/) > [Curiosity is the essence of human existence. 'Who are we? Where are we? Where do we come from? Where are we going?'... I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/curiosity-is-the-essence-of-human-existence-who-are-we-where-are-we/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“The best questions are ones never asked.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-cory-molloy/the-best-questions-are-ones-never-asked/) Robert Cory Molloy > [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/) > [“Love first; ask questions later.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-courtney/love-first-ask-questions-later/) [Jeremy Courtney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-courtney/) > [All the questions, all the speculation, No. 2 driver and so on, it doesn't get to me. It doesn't matter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/valtteri-bottas/all-the-questions-all-the-speculation-no-2-driver-and-so-on-it-doesn/) [Valtteri Bottas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/valtteri-bottas/) > [I take my laptop with me on the road. When I come home, I log onto AOL, go to the Web site, and answer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/butch-trucks/i-take-my-laptop-with-me-on-the-road-when-i-come-home-i-log-onto-aol/) [Butch Trucks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/butch-trucks/) > [I think if you're too embroiled in the need to relate too closely to the character, then you start to judge the character for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cate-blanchett/i-think-if-you-re-too-embroiled-in-the-need-to-relate-too-closely-to/) [Cate Blanchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cate-blanchett/) > [I follow a simple formula when I compose. I ask myself, 'What would the audience want to hear?' and 'Why would they buy my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-r-rahman/i-follow-a-simple-formula-when-i-compose-i-ask-myself-what-would-the/) [A. R. Rahman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-r-rahman/) > ['SoulPancake' is a website that I founded with a couple of friends, and it is for exploring life's big questions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainn-wilson/soulpancake-is-a-website-that-i-founded-with-a-couple-of-friends-and/) [Rainn Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainn-wilson/) > [I never felt I had questions or needed answers or had a part of me that was missing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-biles/i-never-felt-i-had-questions-or-needed-answers-or-had-a-part-of-me/) [Simone Biles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-biles/) > [I didn't respond to people thrusting microphones at me and asking me questions that were unanswerable in a sound bite.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-ayers/i-didn-t-respond-to-people-thrusting-microphones-at-me-and-asking-me/) [Bill Ayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-ayers/) > [“Am I really going to hell for being gay?” Or, “I think I was born a woman in a man’s body. Does that make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-benedict/am-i-really-going-to-hell-for-being-gay-or-i-think-i-was-born-a-woman/) [Charles Benedict](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-benedict/) > [A lot of people ask me about my past. It's part of my life, so I expect people to ask certain questions. Maybe they're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/letoya-luckett/a-lot-of-people-ask-me-about-my-past-it-s-part-of-my-life-so-i-expect/) [LeToya Luckett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/letoya-luckett/) [Browse all 2,225 Questions quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/questions/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“It's as if they take all our questions and offer them straight back: Who are you? Why are you here? 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