Document Version 01
That's the puzzle.
The question is why?
Why did he ask for water at a pub?
Why did the bartender pull a gun?
Why did he thank the bartender?
Why did he leave without getting the water?
Why did he go into the pub in the first place?
The answer to all those questions is the same.
There is one reason that makes perfect sense.
Can you figure it out?
For example, in the puzzle above, the man wanted water; however, we can deduce that he did not want the water because of thirst or to drink. So now, what are some of the reasons we want water other than thirst or to drink. Well, we could want to make something wet, or cool something off, or change the weight of something. These are not the answers to the above puzzle, but if you continue along that path of thinking, eventually you will stumble unto a reason that could also apply to the other factors provided in the puzzle.
Logic 100
Pub Water Puzzle
The Puzzle
This is by far the most famous of all the lateral thinking puzzles....A man walks into a pub.
He approaches the bartender and asks for a glass of water.
The bartender pulls out a shotgun and points it at the man.
The man thanks the bartender and leaves the pub.
That's the puzzle.
The question is why?
Why did he ask for water at a pub?
Why did the bartender pull a gun?
Why did he thank the bartender?
Why did he leave without getting the water?
Why did he go into the pub in the first place?
The answer to all those questions is the same.
There is one reason that makes perfect sense.
Can you figure it out?
How to Solve
The way lateral puzzles are designed is to get us to think much like a detective would when presented with the outcome and then has to figure out how events occurred to lead to that outcome. Simply working backwards will not solve a lateral puzzle. The idea is to stretch the imagination into the cognitive parts of your brain. That is to say, combine brain functions that normally work separately.For example, in the puzzle above, the man wanted water; however, we can deduce that he did not want the water because of thirst or to drink. So now, what are some of the reasons we want water other than thirst or to drink. Well, we could want to make something wet, or cool something off, or change the weight of something. These are not the answers to the above puzzle, but if you continue along that path of thinking, eventually you will stumble unto a reason that could also apply to the other factors provided in the puzzle.