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Brain Teaser Game!


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Warm-up. (This isn't exactly what I had in mind, but I want to see if it can fly).

Keys on a ring

Mr. Jively is interviewing for the job of a lifetime.

As part of a job interview he is given a set of keys with a note attached, and he is seated in front of two office doors. This part of the interview is to test his overall depth of perception, and creative thinking ability. (It's an ad agency, or something like that).

The instructions read:

"Everything is nothing, and nothing is everything. One of these keys leads to everything, the other nothing. Choose wisely." You can only use one key to open one door, and you must make a decision."

She added:

"Don't be funny and try to do "NOTHING" to be indecisive is not part of the "Everything is nothing and nothing is everything." Yes, others have tried that nonsense before.

Here is his dilemma (as spoken in his mind). Can you write the last line?

'Everything is nothing and nothing is everything.'

Two keys, one decision, two keys on a ring?

This isn't what I bargained for, forget the whole thing.

Had she not warned me , I would have tried "nothing."

If I pick key A and find executive bliss.

According to this note, my hit is a miss.

If I use key B, and find but a void—

This whole stupid interview has me annoyed!

Mr Jively: "Excuse me, but can I use key A to open door B?"

Manager: "The rules are on the paper Mr. Jively, obey only what you see."

Well, back to these keys, two keys on a ring.....

Mr. Jively got the job!!! What was his decision?

(Preferably in the form of a nice tidy one-liner)

Edited by Codammanus-2014
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Holy... I'm not reading 47 pages of this to catch up.. :o

the answer was given many times over. There's more than one way to skin a cat, yes?

A priest was pronounced dead. Self inflicted suicide. hung from a ceiling of a vaulted chapel, many feet above the ground. The only evidence was the body, and a water logged carpet.

How did he commit this act?

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Holy... I'm not reading 47 pages of this to catch up.. :o

the answer was given many times over. There's more than one way to skin a cat, yes?

A priest was pronounced dead. Self inflicted suicide. hung from a ceiling of a vaulted chapel, many feet above the ground. The only evidence was the body, and a water logged carpet.

How did he commit this act?

What was given many times over? This thread has multiple teasers, I just dropped 2. Ken solved one.

The next one is above.

As to the priest.---A block of ice.

Edited by Codammanus-2014
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Before opening a door through the keyholes I peeked,

And that is how I found the door that I seeked.

Ken :unsure:

That's a good one.

I see you are following the manager's advice to think other than the rules.

All I know is that this guy has to make a decision of which door to choose that will lead him to success. How exactly does he know? Especially since "Everything is nothing and nothing is everything." The doors aren't labeled "Success" and "Failure"

But, given what little information (purposely little) that he has. There is a decision to make with the two keys on a ring, and the two doors which could lead to success or failure.

There is actually a process to this.

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If everything is nothing and nothing is everything, does it really matter which door he opens? ;)

Ken

Sure,

A better question is this: Before he can pick nothing or everything, wouldn't he have to be able to identify each door. But neither of them are labeled.

Second,

Remember, this is to test his overall depth of perception, and creative thinking ability.

If I tell you the hot water gives cold water, and the cold water faucet gives hot water, then what exactly do I mean? Just that right?

That statement is designed to make you over-think things on purpose. Once you stop doing that, then you'll know what your options are. The next step is to decide how to choose it.

The answer is not cut and dry. But I'm sure someone will think to do it. If the manager was looking to hire YOU to make decisions for their company...

Some employers like sure bets, others like those who take chances.

How can this man do both with ONE decision, but not choosing the wrong key? He can only choose one KEY.

Edited by Codammanus-2014
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Ok so is there two doors in this room or three?

Because if there is only two then the correct door is not the one he entered by.

Ken

Two doors, but she didn't say he had to choose a key or a door.

Read it again. He has options. He even asked questions.

Edited by Codammanus-2014
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Everything = Nothing, but Nothing= Everything.

What is his goal?

How many options does he have that would get him GUARANTEED to that goal?

The two pitfalls is Circular thinking ("If everything is nothing and nothing is everything then they both are the same..." )

and Hit or Miss ("It's either THIS or THAT")

Change that, and you can figure this out.

Edited by Codammanus-2014
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Please accept my apologies, guys.

The only person that was able to figure this out needed me to put two keys and a ring in their hand. Perhaps the physical / visual aid helped with the solution. However, I have learned something invaluable from all of this.

Most of the "interesting" or "creative" matter of my mind is a product of over-analysis and a source of my own frustration. What do I mean?

Well, I was going to type a whole experience about thinking that someone is interested in you (before either of you say antything concrete) only to have them say a series of things that makes you think it was all in your head, but I rather just stop here. I was trying to add up the "signals" before opening my mouth. Opening my mouth proved embarrassingly painful in the past. But being "quiet" and playing "signal tag" before busting out with the whole skillet and butter can be equally embarrassing.

The answer is that Mr. Jively chose the ring. Yes, the ring is the only sure object to choose that would ensure "nothing" could be opened. By doing so, he chose "everything" (Everything is nothing and nothing is everything. It's a reversal, not a circle. Like hot=cold and cold=hot. Not hot=cold=hot=cold).

Anyways,

Today will be a somber and mute one. I just think too darn much. That is NOT intelligence. It is a mental liability 99% of the time, and the 1% that could be profitably converted is rarely ever done. If you have done so, let me know your secret. Sometimes I'm right, but most of the time it is just worth more to acknowledge my own thoughts and end it with:

"Let's just keep that thought between us, ok?"

I'm learning to do that.

By the way,

If any of you out there is named Christian Bradley (Or Christian David). I want my manuscript back dude. That was dirty, and a lasting example of my being stupid again. Never hand over three years worth of work to a person you just met, seemingly by divine intervention, who just happens to have your same interests. It is not like in the movies. Nothing grand will happen. Or, as in some movies, what happens might just suck.

I hope the next 29 years will be a lot more calculated, and less intellectually and emotionally costly.

Because, I seriously have a lot to get done.

Edited by Codammanus-2014
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