Riddle: This woman was born in 1975

This type of riddle is based on a well-known trick: it uses our automatic thought processes. As soon as we read “1975,” our brain immediately associates it with a year. That’s normal: we spontaneously link numbers like this to dates. And that’s exactly where it tricks us!

Because, in reality, nothing says that “1975” is a year. It’s just an interpretation… and everything depends on that.

So, what’s the solution?

The woman was born and died in 1975… but not in the year 1975. She was born in room number 1975 of a hospital (or another institution) and died in that same room, in 1975, at the age of 22.

Yes, it’s that simple—and clever.
The riddle relies entirely on the ambiguity of a number. It perfectly illustrates our tendency to interpret everything linearly, following our usual mental patterns. A perfect example of what’s called lateral thinking!

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