40 Year-Old Riddle Stumps Adults STILL! What's YOUR Answer?

Tuesday, September 14, 2010
A riddle that came out nearly 40 years ago and is still stumping people today.  The way you answer it can explain a lot about how you view the world.

The riddle is as follows:
A father and a son are in a horrible car accident.  Unfortunately the father dies immediately.  The son is rushed to the hospital where the head surgeon says, "I cannot operate on this boy because he is my son."
The Question?  WHO IS THE SURGEON?

What is your answer?  Surprisingly, this riddle has stumped generations.
If you guessed that the surgeon is the boy's mother, you would be correct. 

Older generations are notorious for getting this riddle wrong.  Prior to the mid-1980s the idea of a female surgeon (especially a head surgeon) wasn't a profession that would pop into people's heads.  In a recent study, adults were asked the same riddle and still they answered the question incorrectly.  But when the question of, "Who was the surgeon?" was presented to children they almost always answered that the surgeon was the boy's mom. 

The children's answer to this question is apparently a generational thing.  Children today have grown up in a world where jobs/professions have not been limited by gender.  But for a surprising twist, many of the children also responded that the surgeon was the boys "other father". When asked to clarify what having a "other father" meant, the children didn't hesitate to answer that the boy in the story's fathers were be gay. 

This study warmed my heart and made me feel optimistic about this nation's future.  While older generations have a hard time seeing change, it seems as if the younger generations aren't affected by those predetermined notions and ideas of gender roles in a professional setting.  Even more exciting is that the younger generations aren't affected or bothered by the idea of a gay couple having a child. 

While the nation currently debates over the repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell and states decide if the union of marriage between a same-sex couple is considered lawful, I'm confident that these issues will "go the way of the dinosaurs" and become extinct and obsolete.  These younger generations are going to be OUR FUTURE LEADERS. If their views as children indicate the progressive changes and thinking that will come as they enter adulthood, I am excited to see what the future has in-store.

Until then, take action into your own hands! 

0 comments:

Post a Comment

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...