Have you ever been confused by a seemingly simple question? For example: “I have six eggs, I break two, I boil two and I eat two. How many are left? Most of us hesitate, make rough calculations in our minds, and then end up making a mistake. However, these puzzles are really just little logic games, designed to excite our brains… and our patience. So why do they catch us so often? And above all, how do you train yourself to solve these problems without falling into the trap?
The classic pitfall of everyday puzzles
These little puzzles have one thing in common: they play on our mental reflexes. When you read quickly, you start the calculation right away, without taking the time to analyze the actions one by one.
Let’s take our example:
Initially 6 eggs.
I break two of them. But be careful, breaking doesn’t mean destroying, they’re just ready to be cooked.
I cook two: The two broken eggs.
I eat two: the same hard-boiled eggs.
And then the brain often screams: “There is nothing left!” “ when in reality four eggs remain intact.
This little confusion is typically human. We confuse action with disappearance. As if breaking or boiling eggs automatically makes the eggs disappear from the broth. It’s a bit like a refrigerator: if you crack two eggs to cook them, you’re left with the eggs you didn’t unwrap, right?
The key: break down actions into scenarios
The best trick to avoid mistakes is to tell the story in your head step by step, like a small theatrical performance.
Imagine your eggs are on stage:
Everything on the counter (6 eggs).
Two of them have been set aside, broken, but they are still there, ready to cook.
We cook them.
Then we eat them.
