A Classic Riddle That Tricks Your Brain

Here’s a riddle that seems confusing at first, but the answer is surprisingly simple if you think about it carefully.

The Riddle

Read this slowly:

There are two girls.
One is facing South, the other faces North.
Yet they can see each other without mirrors.

How can this be?

At first, it sounds impossible. If one girl is facing South and the other is facing North, wouldn’t they be looking in completely opposite directions?

Think About What’s Not Said

The riddle never tells us:

• That they are standing back to back
• That they are far apart
• That anything is blocking their view

We often assume those things automatically.

The Simple Answer

They are standing facing each other.

• One girl is facing South, looking toward the South.
• The other girl is standing in front of her, facing North, looking toward the North.

Because they are directly opposite each other, they can see each other perfectly.

The Lesson Behind the Riddle

Many riddles work by tricking our assumptions. We imagine details that were never actually mentioned.

Sometimes the solution isn’t complicated—it simply requires looking at the problem from a different angle.

Simple once you see it, right?