A man was lost in a deep forest.Going into the forest,he found two ways fortunately,one was back to the town and the other into the deep forest.There were only two people in the forest excluding the man,one was good and the other a liar and they both knew the right way to the town.One of the people was coming towards the man.The man actually couldn't know whether the person was good or a liar.However,he must ask the person only one question to know the right way to back to the town again.What question must he ask? (if the person was a liar he would say opposite things if you asked him the right way.)
2006-11-14 21:55:31 · 5 answers · asked by Anonymous in Social Science ➔ Psychology
ask "if i asked the other man the way to town, what would he reply?"
the answer is the wrong way so you walk the other.
2006-11-14 22:04:49 · answer #1 · answered by only1doug 4 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Doug and Paul already have the official answer.... i.e. to enforce the traits of both the liar and the truthful so that the final result is ultimately a lie and thus incorrect.....
But then in this particular manifestation of the riddle... I have a common sense answer:
Don't ask anything.
Assuming you've just briefly encountered the person in question, its safe to assume that they're going in the opposite direction. Its safe to say that unless they show signs of serious jungle-wear on them... that the direction they came FROM leads to town... irrespective of whether they're going to lie or tell the truth to you.
Its not exactly infallible. You might not have been paying attention to which direction they were coming from (and you might not be able to follow their footprints) ... but that pretty much serves you right for not being on the ball... so to speak.
As elegant as the "true" answer is, I find my alternative answer much more satisfying.
2006-11-14 22:56:15 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
You would need to ask him which way the other man would tell you to go, and go the opposite way. For example say the correct direction was left. You ask the good man which direction the bad man would say. The answer would be the right hand path. You go the opposite way and your home free. If the gentleman turns out to be the bad man he will lie and tell you that the good man would instruct you to take the right hand path as well. Again you take the opposite path and your home in time for neighbours and a cup of tea.
2006-11-14 22:12:35 · answer #3 · answered by Paul E 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Ask him to take you back to his town, the liar would take you to the right one, either one you'd know, then the liar would opposite the opposite of the opposite, then explode, leaving you a map to isengard.
2006-11-14 21:58:59 · answer #4 · answered by Fuzz 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Ask him if he is a liar!!!!!!!!
Then ask the other person if he came from town?
2006-11-14 22:05:27 · answer #5 · answered by Lilac Lady 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋