Brain Teasers
The Barber
A barber lives in and owns a barber shop in a town called Treefall. He has a sign on his window that reads:
"I shave all those in Treefall who do not shave themselves. NO EXCEPTIONS!"
What is the paradox?
"I shave all those in Treefall who do not shave themselves. NO EXCEPTIONS!"
What is the paradox?
Answer
Who shaves the barber? Does the man shave himself? Either way he breaks his own rule.Hide Answer Show Answer
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Comments
What if he doesn't shave at all, He may either be a native american (who doesn't grow facial or body hair) or he may look like ZZ top. But either way, He may not be the exception to the rule.
AHEM, that doesn't work. If he's not shaving, he's not shaving someone who doesn't shave themselves.
Eaay, but if U think about, it can get confusing. Good one!
It is an old paradox present in all paradox books
What if the barber is a woman? I would hope she doesn't need a shave!
Mog... good point in your comment, but by that logic, as long as any one person isn't shaving themselves, the barber would be having to shave them. That means that he'd have to shave everyone in the town (who don't shave themselves) at once.
Ooo... I like this one.
yeah what if he never shaves? what if he is a she? what if there are more then one barber?
It doesn't say that he ONLY shaves everyone in town that doesn't shave themselves. Therefore he can shave himself. The NO EXCEPTIONS can easily be seen to apply to anyone who does not shave themselves. Therefore he'd have to shave children, and any adult who does not shave. No paradox, just absurdity.
So he shaves himself. That and shaving all those who do not shave themselves are not mutually exclusive. The sign is irrelevant.
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