The solution is pretty simple, I think?
It does not matter what choice you make:
Option A) If you shoot him, you will die anyway (because of old age) and your family will also die eventually (because of old age)
Option B) If you decide to not shoot him, you will die immediatly/soon due to starvation assuming you can not find any food or return home, and your family will also die eventually (because of old age)
Conclusion: Shoot the rabbit and eat it (Option A)
Yes REALISE... those who stop thinking about this puzzle
and realise are on the right path. Those who get a little pissed
off with this puzzle are in fact on the right path.
lusiphur, great answer but your ending comment has told me you still don't
quite get it.
Here's the thing guys. You're standing on a ledge. A hot molten lava
is creeping towards you. In front of you is a deep lake. It's so far away
if you jump into it you are certain to die and drown.
You need to do something. Stay still and you get burned to death, jump and you will die.
But is your EGO so big that you will mindlessly jump and fall to your death
because that is what you MUST do?
Why don't you ask the ant crawling by?
Here's another story/clue.
A monk asks a boy.
'Where do you come from? The boy answers. I come from over there.
A day after the monk asks, and before that. The boy goes back to think
about it. From my mommy's tummy he says after a week. The monk comes
back and asks before that. The boy is really stumped. He says I don't know
But the monk keeps asking him everyday. Until one day the boy screams at
the top of his lungs with his fist clenched in the air, 'nooooooooooooooo.'
The end.
Shoot, but not the rabbit, as the second part of the sentence says 'If you do not shoot your family will die.' but it does not include the 'me'
Methinks this rabbit just got beyond psychology 101 and should thus be shot anyway for not pursuing a career in IT in the first place....
Neither shoot nor don't shoot say undecided forever that way neither fate can come to pass -> you won't die nor will your family nor will the rabbit.
As for the molten lava one, if you can ask an ant then you are also an ant so you can climb underneath the ledge and down to the lake and live.
As for the stupid kid who doesn't understand fertilization and human reproduction he should just stop going to see the monk.
I think we need to refer this to psychology 101 or psychology for dummies forum. Is there such a forum here? I'm sure there must be, let me just think where.... I realize ooooh over there.
"A starved man wanders into the depths of a foreboding wilderness in the dark of the night with a shotgun. The only light is that which shines from the full moon casting shadows on the forest floor. Just as the young man crosses an opening in the foliage he sees a rabbit. The young man hasn't eaten for days. He raises the barrel to shoot at the rabbit but before he does the rabbit speaks...
'If you shoot me you will die. If you do not shoot your family will die.'"
What does the man do?Those who really wish to know the answer can PM me.
Happy thinking :)
Let's take this apart a bit.
What do we know?
Fact:
Now, what are some assumptions we can take from this?
Assumptions:
My conclusion:
Wait for the rabbit to turn around and think it has won, then bludgeon it to death with the butt of the shotgun as not to spoil the meat.
Kes166, I am sure that you have just tipped the scale to us who have voted - SHOOT THE DAMN ALICE IN WONDERLAND RABBIT (Talking, reasoning and all). There is after so many guessing, where most conclusions ended up in shooting the rabbit, a final, who cares, shoot the poor rabbit, eat it and live with it. That has been mans nature since ... heck... beginning of time.LOL
eventually everyone is going to die only rabbit can live if he don't shoot. but either way he and his family is going to die
No? Has anyone got it? Has anyone been enlightened? OK I'll let this one ride.
No? Has anyone got it? Has anyone been enlightened? OK I'll let this one ride.
That you should stop dropping acid and popping empathogenics. Seriously, next thing you know, you'll be feeling sympathy towards pillows and the hardships it's faced.
"IF U SHOOT ME,u will die.IF U DO NOT SHOOT,ur family will die"
..
May be,to avoid death of his family,he has to shoot..so he may shoot somewhere else..
to avoid being death himself,he should not shoot rabbit...so he may shoot somewhere else..
So,he shoots somewhere else...
Its my opinion..
Everyone is going to die so the first part of the rabbit's statement is meaningless. The second part is also meaningless as everyone is going to die. So I shoot the rabbit and have dinner.
Why take a risk . There is a rule in the law of nature " Only th fittest Survive" , So it depends on the rabbit whether he can lead me to another tasty morsel else,
I shoot him and take my chances.
With Momerath here. The statement means nothing and is open to countless interpretations. If I shoot the rabbit, of course I'm gonna die (some day), if I don't shoot the rabbit, of course my family will die (some day). Life's too short to worry.
You could wind up in your own backside looking at all the different angles here. Circular arguments and contradictions on baseless statements. Not playing the game sorry. For all the exposure this thread has had, it better have a good denouement.
The statement means nothing and is open to countless interpretations. If I shoot the rabbit, of course I'm gonna die (some day), if I don't shoot the rabbit, of course my family will die (some day). Life's too short to worry.
^^ Good stuff.
You could wind up in your own backside looking at all the different angles here.
You could, and why is this a bad thing? Or what happens if you just stop looking at it from ANY angle.
Circular arguments and contradictions on baseless statements
With circular arguments you end up back at square one don't you? BUT have you not also been on a journey?
Not playing the game sorry. For all the exposure this thread has had, it better have a good denouement.
It does. But it is something you must arrive at yourself. It's just one of those things that you just get, it's something no-one can tell you. And to get it you have to absolutely drop your EGO.
What EGO? I'm just a cantakerous old git. Comes with age. No apologies. Or is EGO a clue to self-enlightenment?
Yes.This puzzle is actually a koan. It forces the thinker to come to deep realisations. Eventually, there is an end to the struggle. So guys. What do you do?
Yes.This puzzle is actually a koan. It forces the thinker to come to deep realisations. Eventually, there is an end to the struggle. So guys. What do you do?
Put that way, we pay taxes, then we die.
Put that way, we pay taxes, then we die.
hehehe yeah well said :)
This to do with us not having any choice, although we have the perception of it - no free will? This is all very deterministic. Are you a closet Methodist/Wesleyan iamthwee?
Turning it on its head, I could interpret this with the utmost ego and declare myself GOD. I will determine the outcome by making a choice. We do have free will and are able to exercise it. In a sense we become the God of the deterministic realm.
What a load of old cobblers - shoot me for Dog's sake - I want to be the doomed rabbit. I'm starting to bore myself - this is new - as I've got such a freakin' huge ego. Are you succeeding?
Anyway, I'm thinking the demonic bunny is talking to the gun not the man. Coz we all know guns kill people, not people. Hah - had to get that one in!
Whack the damn rabbit with the butt of the shotgun. You didn't shoot the thing , so happy snacking!
You didn't shoot the thing , so happy snacking!
So if you do not shoot him what will happen? Are you satisfied with this answer?
I would shoot the rabbit, then I would shoot my family, thus creating an Enigma wrapped in a Paradox, and laugh as it absorbs the world until nothing is left.
"A starved man wanders into the depths of a foreboding wilderness in the dark of the night with a shotgun. The only light is that which shines from the full moon casting shadows on the forest floor. Just as the young man crosses an opening in the foliage he sees a rabbit. The young man hasn't eaten for days. He raises the barrel to shoot at the rabbit but before he does the rabbit speaks...
'If you shoot me you will die. If you do not shoot your family will die.'
Let me clarify, Oh wise one. Whack the rabbit with the butt of the shotgun and kill it. Then fire or "shoot" the gun anywhere but at the rabbit. The riddle only states that if you do not shoot, your family will die. In this way, you have met the two criteria of the riddle: 1) You did not shoot the rabbit, therefore you will not die, and 2)you technically have satisfied the second caveat by simply shooting the shotgun, therefore your family will not die.
^^ Oh Zenmaster, good answer. But the puzzle should read,
'If you don't shoot ME your family will die.'
I made a mistake which I mentioned earlier on in the thread and couldn't edit it. Apologies for this!
In any case this puzzle is not a play with words.
Now a lot of you have come close to arriving at the answer. A lot of you have stood at the edge of the door. But were afraid of walking through it. Just simply stop thinking, stop, stop stop... Realise. You might feel a little scared of what's on the other side of the door, maybe that's why you don't want to walk through it. Just go with what you FEEL, go go go go. Stop trying to rationalise this.
What happened to the boy and the monk? He didn't just say, 'I don't know where I came from before so I GIVE up.' He DID something!!!'
Doing NO-THING is not an action. Turning around and saying, 'both options are pretty sh*t so I must do one or the other is pretty stupid too!'
But but but but...when you've exhausted all possibilities and REALISE something.
You have taken action.
So given the rabbit's two choices what the hell do you DO?
>Doing NO-THING is not an action
Therefore, not shooting the rabbit is not an action. So if you want to DO ["what the hell do you DO"] something, you must shoot the rabbit.
This would be my response anyway. Interesting if the argument was reversed. Shoot me and your family will die...
>Therefore, not shooting the rabbit is not an action.
Is it? Not shooting the rabbit IS an action. You've made the conscious decision to act and DO something even if it seems non-proactive. Doing NOTHING, is NOT an action.
This is why the rabbit says 'If you do not shoot me your family will die... As opposed to 'Do nothing and your family will die.'
The difference is subtle but very very different. Ponder this for a while...
>So if you want to DO ["what the hell do you DO"] something, you must shoot the rabbit.
Again this your EGO taking over. Yes absolutely take action, but what _________?
Here's another question. Do you think the monk in my story actually knew the answer to the riddle he posed? Do you think he knew where the boy came before he was in his mother's tummy or before that, or even before that???
Thing is, I could tell you the answer to this, but I'd only be setting a precedent that you all would nod along and agree if. Far better is for you to engage in a cerebral struggle and REALISE the answer. Only then will you GET it? And you know when you've got it because you won't even ask me.
You see these type of riddles are zen koans. Monks will traditionally go away to the mountains and ponder riddles such as these, firing back gibberish to and fro. 'Who came first the chicken or the egg?'
You see there is a difference between GIVING up and accepting the answer.
Nan-in, a Japanese master during the Meiji era (1868-1912), received a university professor who came to inquire about Zen.
Nan-in served tea. He poured his visitor's cup full, and then kept on pouring.
The professor watched the overflow until he no longer could restrain himself. "It is overfull. No more will go in!"
"Like this cup," Nan-in said, "you are full of your own opinions and speculations. How can I show you Zen unless you first empty your cup?"
Ardav, I know you're itching to do something... Just DO IT MAN!
With respect, I do understand the subtle difference between ignoring the situation and actively refusing to shoot the rabbit. I was merely responding to your previous assertion (on action) - language seems to be a barrier to clear communication. Gurdjieff would be in his element here.
I've studied your puzzle for a few minutes when I see a new post. I've started to write something and then scrub it as my post migrates eloquently up my own butt.
Now,
I will shoot the rabbit and gladly accept my fate as I am at peace. There is no conflict. I have no need for further discussion with myself or others. Clarity.
The man shoots iamthewee for putting him in an impossible situation to begin with shortly before vanishing since he never existed except in a hypothetical world. Or the man is deaf so he has no knowledge of what the rabbit said and kills him and eats him.
The person on the lava ledge realizes this situation is to crazy to have actually happened at that they are a hypothetical person in a hypothetical world and supposes into existance a parachute, boat and gallon of ice cream.
And the boy realizes that the monk has Alzhiemer's and doesn't remember asking the same question every day and forgives him.
The riddle stated that the man saw a rabbit, it didn't tell us that it was. It's possible that the moonlight and shadows, along with his hunger made him think he saw a rabbit when it was actually something else. I did think it might be his family somehow but the statement said "if you don't shoot me, your family will die" so that wouldn't work.
Maybe what the rabbit said needs to be reversed? Instead of "If you shoot me, you will die but if you don't shoot me, your family will die" replace it with "If you shoot me, your family will live and if you don't shoot me, you will live."
Maybe it doesn't mean physical death and instead means the metaphorical death that people have inside? If he shoots the rabbit, he feels sorry for it and dies a little inside but if he doesn't shoot it, he goes home empty handed and his family die a little inside because the man came back with nothing.
I don't think these are right but they're the only things I can think of.
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