I have always had a sneaking suspicion that the time scale on which we seek answers is far too narrow for answers to be found. Is it not likely that the period

I have always had a sneaking suspicion that the time scale on which we seek answers is far too narrow for answers to be found. Is it not likely that the period during which advanced civilizations actually exists is so short that they never cross each other's paths? I mean, if this were the case, wouldn't it throw the entire Drake equation out the window?