Here’s a classic riddle: “A woman was born in 1975 and died in 1975, yet she was 22 years old when she died. How can that be?” It sounds impossible because being born and dying in the same year usually means infancy.
The trick is in how we interpret 1975. We tend to see it as a year, but it could be something else entirely.
Think of 1975 as a room number. The woman was born in Room 1975 and died there, but she lived 22 years. This simple change clears up the confusion.
This riddle plays on our habit of linking numbers to dates. It’s a clever way to show how our assumptions can mislead us.
Most people don’t see the answer right away, making it a fun challenge to share.
More importantly, it reminds us to question our assumptions and be open to different perspectives, whether in riddles or real life.
