Here’s a riddle that’s been puzzling thousands of people: “A woman was born in 1975 and died in 1975. She was 22 when she died. How is this possible?” At first glance, it sounds completely absurd. If someone is born and dies in the same year, then by all logic, they could only be a few months—or at most—just under a year old, not 22.
So how could this possibly be true? The confusion this riddle causes isn’t about a mathematical error but about the way our brains process information. Most people immediately assume that “1975” refers to the calendar year, because that’s how we’re wired to read numbers. It’s the default setting in our minds: when we see a number like 1975, we think about a date. That automatic association leads us straight into a mental trap. We get caught up trying to make the math work. Some people might try to explain it by assuming maybe she was born in January and died in December, but even that wouldn’t come close to 22 years.
The more you try to force it to make sense in terms of dates, the more impossible it seems. But here’s the thing—riddles like this aren’t really about logic or arithmetic. They’re about challenging the assumptions we don’t even realize we’re making. The key to solving this puzzle is realizing that 1975 might not refer to a year at all. Instead of thinking of it as a date, try thinking of it as something else—like a room number. Reimagine the riddle now: “A woman was born in Room 1975 and died in Room 1975. She was 22 years old when she died.” Suddenly, it makes perfect sense. There’s no time travel, no paradox, no math error.
Just a clever play on words that tricks your brain by using a number you automatically associate with time. This type of riddle works so well because it relies on our natural tendency to interpret numbers a certain way. That’s the trick. It’s a classic example of a bait-and-switch. You’re baited with a number you think you understand, then the real answer lies in seeing it from a different perspective. The moment you stop viewing 1975 as a year and instead see it as a room number or code, the entire mystery unravels. She was born in Room 1975, died in the same room, and was 22 years old. Everything adds up once you break free from the original assumption. What makes this riddle so fun to share is that almost everyone falls for it the first time.
Try it on your friends, family, or coworkers and watch how they react. Most will struggle with it for a while before the lightbulb moment hits. And if you really want to challenge them, say it out loud without showing the text—because when people hear “born in 1975 and died in 1975,” their minds lock in on the idea of years even faster. This riddle is more than just a fun puzzle—it’s a great reminder that our perception can be our biggest obstacle. In life, just like in riddles, we often get stuck because we’re looking at things the way we always have. But if we pause, shift our thinking, and question our assumptions, we might find that what once seemed impossible actually has a simple solution. It teaches us that not everything is as straightforward as it seems, and sometimes, the only thing standing between us and the answer is the lens through which we’re looking. So the next time something seems confusing or unsolvable, whether it’s a riddle or a real-life challenge, try asking yourself: Am I making the wrong assumption? Could there be another way to interpret this? Riddles like this one encourage us to stay curious, flexible, and open to new ways of thinking. Because if a number like “1975” can throw us off so completely, who knows what other assumptions we’re making without even realizing it?
