A simple but powerful puzzle that reveals how our mind works
Introduction
A riddle has gone viral on social media that, although seemingly simple, has confused millions of people. The phrase reads:
“I have 6 eggs. I broke 2. I fried 2. I ate 2. How many eggs do I have left?”
At first glance, you might think the answer is obvious. However, most people are wrong. These types of riddles are not only entertaining, but they also reveal how we often react automatically without carefully analyzing what we read.
Why is this riddle so tricky? 🤯
The key lies in the sequential and logical interpretation of the actions described. Our brain tends to add up all the actions as if they were performed on different elements, but that’s not what the text says.
Let’s go step by step:
I have 6 eggs.
Initial total = 6 eggs
I broke 2.
Now you have 4 whole eggs left, but you still have them all (the broken ones are there too, just broken).
I fried 2.
Usually, to fry an egg… you have to break it first! So those 2 I fried are probably the same ones I broke.
I ate two.
And of course, if I fried them, I ate them afterward. So, it’s very likely that the two I ate are also the same ones I fried and smashed.
So… How many eggs do I have left? ✅
