Before immediately listing out all the React Component lifecycle methods that I knew, I framed the question by explaining how the React library's Component API exposes a set of functions that correspond to the distinct stages of a component's lifecycle within the context of the virtual DOM and the behavior of state within the DOM component hierarchy. Apparently this prologue suggested to the interviewers that I was buying myself time while I Googled the names of the lifecycles methods, the irony of course being that anyone could have Googled a list of React lifecycle methods whereas framing their behavior and responsibilities within the React context and philosophy at large actually requires a deeper understanding of React.