Answers Not Shown in the Photo
When the woman posted a photo of her lost ring, she received several messages from people claiming to have found it.
She didn’t meet with anyone who described features visible in the photo. However, she did go to pick up the ring from someone who provided details not shown in the photo.
Why did she believe the answers that weren’t in the photo?
Let’s unravel your preconceptions, one by one.
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3 Levels of Hints
Take it little by little, just as much as you need.
Hint 1
How can you verify the statement “I found it”?
Hint 2
There are things that even someone who has only seen the photo can describe.
Hint 3
The woman did not reveal all the ring’s characteristics.
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The truth behind this mystery
The woman had deliberately not revealed the engraving on the inside of the ring. She asked each person who contacted her about that engraving.
Anyone could describe the features visible in the photo—even someone who didn’t actually have the ring. On the other hand, if someone could correctly identify the engraving—which she hadn’t revealed—it was reasonable to assume they had the actual ring.
What the woman wanted to verify wasn’t whether they had seen the photo, but whether they had actually found the ring.
If you notice this, you’ve got it right
By having them describe undisclosed features, she verified whether the person actually had the real ring.
It wasn’t necessary to identify the exact text of the engraving. Even undisclosed markers, such as scratches, would suffice as long as they allowed for the same verification. People who only described features visible in the photo weren’t necessarily lying.
Suggested questions and answers for group play
- Was the photo she posted actually of the ring she lost?
- Yes.
- Did she edit the photo to make it look like a different ring?
- No.
- Did the woman know the characteristics she deliberately chose not to reveal?
- Yes.
- Could someone describe the features in the photo without actually having the ring?
- Yes.
- Did the woman ask the person who contacted her about the undisclosed features?
- Yes.
- Did she use the engraving on the inside of the ring to verify it?
- Yes.
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