Guest Posted October 3, 2007 Report Share Posted October 3, 2007 I heard this one a long time ago. A man aproaches you in a dark alley. He says, "If you tell a lie, I will kill you with a knife. If you tell the truth, I will kill you with a gun." What do you say to stay alive? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1 Guest Posted March 8, 2008 Report Share Posted March 8, 2008 Say: You will kill me with a knife. Cause if it's true it can't be because then it will become false. On the other hand, it can't be false cause than he will kill him with a knife making it true. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 bonanova Posted October 3, 2007 Report Share Posted October 3, 2007 I heard this one a long time ago. A man aproaches you in a dark alley. He says, "If you tell a lie, I will kill you with a knife. If you tell the truth, I will kill you with a gun." What do you say to stay alive? This has been posted in a slightly different form elsewhere in this forum. The usual answer is make a statement that is true if he uses a knife and false if he uses a gun. Several ways to construct such a statement. e.g. You will kill me with a knife, but you won't kill me with a gun.A much easier solution isRecognize that only declarative statements have a truth value. Don't make a declarative statement; that way it won't be the truth or a lie. Here are three possibilities: [1] Remain silent. - or if you must say something, ask a question [2] Why do you want to kill me? - or exclaim something: [3] No! Please do not kill me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Guest Posted October 3, 2007 Report Share Posted October 3, 2007 I heard this one a long time ago. A man aproaches you in a dark alley. He says, "If you tell a lie, I will kill you with a knife. If you tell the truth, I will kill you with a gun." What do you say to stay alive? The simplest answer I have found was"You will kill me with a knife." Any paradox, actually, should leave you alive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Guest Posted October 3, 2007 Report Share Posted October 3, 2007 Silence is golden. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Guest Posted October 3, 2007 Report Share Posted October 3, 2007 "Hello" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Guest Posted October 4, 2007 Report Share Posted October 4, 2007 I'd say "BOO!" then punch him in the throat and then stomp him until he was unconscious. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Guest Posted February 18, 2008 Report Share Posted February 18, 2008 I would answer with another paradox which is: "I always lie and never tell the truth" This statement cannot be a lie or the truth. If you do always lie, then you cannot make that statement - because it is the truth. If you dont lie, then you cannot make that statement - beause the statement is a lie. Yes that's what I'd say. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 TwoaDay Posted February 25, 2008 Report Share Posted February 25, 2008 i like writersblock's answer but if you are in a dark alley wont it be hard for him to aim at you with a gun? it wouldnt matter what you said as long as he tried to use a gun and you ran away Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Guest Posted February 29, 2008 Report Share Posted February 29, 2008 RUUUUUUUUUUUNNNNNNNNNNNN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Guest Posted February 29, 2008 Report Share Posted February 29, 2008 You will kill me with a knife Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Guest Posted March 6, 2008 Report Share Posted March 6, 2008 "I have AIDS" make him think twice about stabbing you... unless you really do have aids in which case he could shoot you from a safe distance it's wrong, i know but give me a little credit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Guest Posted March 6, 2008 Report Share Posted March 6, 2008 Wat zeg je nou. Ik spreek geen Engels Tot ziens! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Guest Posted March 8, 2008 Report Share Posted March 8, 2008 why not just say"i wiegh 80 pounds" or "Why???" the 80 pound one he will have no way of telling if it is a lie or the truth Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Guest Posted March 8, 2008 Report Share Posted March 8, 2008 (edited) Of course the knife statement is the official answer but... he doesn't say when he will kill you... and he doesn't say he won't kill you if you remain silent. Perhaps it would be best to say the truth and a lie before he has a chance to kill you. Then he HAS to kill you with a knife and a gun which should at least be hard. Would you say such a paradox is both TRUE and FALSE, neither TRUE nor FALSE, or something else? Edited March 8, 2008 by redshift Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Guest Posted March 11, 2008 Report Share Posted March 11, 2008 I would say " You are going to stab me." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Guest Posted March 18, 2008 Report Share Posted March 18, 2008 Well I've been mugged at gun point and I didn't get to mum a word. I don't think in this scenario there'll be any difference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Guest Posted March 18, 2008 Report Share Posted March 18, 2008 I'm thinking if you rely on a paradox to get you out of this, he might just get annoyed and kill you with a nuclear bomb instead. You could get out of the situation non-paradoxically like this: "If you kill me with the gun, you will stand absolutely still for 5 minutes before you shoot me" He can't kill you with the knife because your statement would be true in that case. But in order to kill you with the gun, he has to stand still first to make the statement true (at this point you run). Of course he might have been lying from the start and just laugh and shoot you in the head. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Guest Posted March 21, 2008 Report Share Posted March 21, 2008 You say that he will kill you with a knife. So he can not kill you with a knife because it will be true and should therefore kill you with a gun. However if he then kills you with a gun your statement will be false so he should kill you with the gun and so on... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Guest Posted March 21, 2008 Report Share Posted March 21, 2008 I'm thinking if you rely on a paradox to get you out of this, he might just get annoyed and kill you with a nuclear bomb instead. You could get out of the situation non-paradoxically like this: "If you kill me with the gun, you will stand absolutely still for 5 minutes before you shoot me" He can't kill you with the knife because your statement would be true in that case. But in order to kill you with the gun, he has to stand still first to make the statement true (at this point you run). Of course he might have been lying from the start and just laugh and shoot you in the head. If he killed you with the knife the statement would be false wouldn't it? So he could kill you with the knife. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Guest Posted March 21, 2008 Report Share Posted March 21, 2008 just simply say nothin or if u hav to say somethin then say somethin no one say its true or not Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Guest Posted March 21, 2008 Report Share Posted March 21, 2008 nothing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Guest Posted March 24, 2008 Report Share Posted March 24, 2008 My Way, Say "Can i Have the gun?", By asking a qestion your not telling a lie or a truth. this one is flawed on the assumption that you A) Must say something and B) Make a statment Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Guest Posted March 28, 2008 Report Share Posted March 28, 2008 I would say NOTHING and therefore neither tell the truth or a lie! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Guest Posted March 28, 2008 Report Share Posted March 28, 2008 you can be quietor ask a question Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Guest Posted April 26, 2008 Report Share Posted April 26, 2008 Just say OK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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Guest
I heard this one a long time ago.
A man aproaches you in a dark alley. He says,
"If you tell a lie, I will kill you with a knife. If you tell the truth, I will kill you with a gun."
What do you say to stay alive?
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