Solving riddles is always fun. Not only because you get to test your ability to think outside the box, but also because you get the opportunity to challenge the boastful people around you. I think we all want to have a bit of competition in our lives. Who’s really the smartest of the bunch?

I thought the brainteaser below was really tricky – I had to think for several minutes before finding the answer.

I’ve loved riddles and tricky puzzles ever since I was young. My middle school teacher Eva gave us a lot of tricky problems, like optical illusions and murder mysteries for kids.

It was a welcome break from our normal schoolwork – I loved to stop and really think about how to figure them out.

What Eva taught me is still with me today. I still take time out of my day to just forget about my everyday life, and sit down with a cup of tea and a crossword or a puzzle. I think we need more brain exercise in this day and age!

Goldfish riddle
The riddle below looks easy at first glance, but don’t rush it! According to some sites, only 1 in 7 get it right on the first try. Can you solve it?

Have you got your answer ready? Okay. You might think that the answer is 1 goldfish, since 10 – 2 – 4 – 3 = 1. But it’s not that easy!

Fish breathe underwater, so they can’t drown. They’re in a small bowl, so they can’t really swim away either. And if they die, well… they’re still in the bowl!

And that’s what matter for this riddle, after all. It’s about how many are still left, not about how many are alive.

So the final answer is 10!

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