This Man's Father is My Father's Son

[Janke 1st MRB]

So, I found this riddle lying around the Internet and decided to share it with you gentlemen:

Stephen was looking at a photo. Someone asked him, "Whose picture are you looking at?" He replied: "I don't have any brother or sister, but this man's father is my father's son." So, whose picture was Stephen looking at?

[Goodwin 1st MRB]

A picture of himself?

[Morton]

So, I found this riddle lying around the Internet and decided to share it with you gentlemen:

Stephen was looking at a photo. Someone asked him, "Whose picture are you looking at?" He replied: "I don't have any brother or sister, but this man's father is my father's son." So, whose picture was Stephen looking at?

Its his son. Since he doesn't have any siblings it has to be his son. "This man's father is my father's son" Steven's dad---> Steven ---> Steven's son [Man].

Edited July 13, 2010 by Morton 1st MRB

[Cramer]

Yeah.. it would be his son in the picture.

[Goodwin 1st MRB]

I'm not following your logic.

The way I see it is:

"This mans father" -> Stephens pointing at a photo of himself - which means Stephs father

"Is my fathers son" -> Stephen's fathers son is Stephen.

The siblings have nothing to do with it IMO. Anyone at any time can be an only child - that says nothing about who's a father and who's a son so it's immaterial.

[Cramer]

I'm not following your logic.

The way I see it is:

"This mans father" -> Stephens pointing at a photo of himself - which means Stephs father

"Is my fathers son" -> Stephen's fathers son is Stephen.

The siblings have nothing to do with it IMO. Anyone at any time can be an only child - that says nothing about who's a father and who's a son so it's immaterial.

Then you would be saying Stephen's father... is Stephen.. how is that possible?

This man's father > Stephen pointing at a picture of his son...

Is my father's son... > Stephen's father's son.. would be Stephen..

The man in the picture's father is Stephen.

The reason this sentence was included... "I don't have any brother or sister."... was so that its easier to understand for the reader that the only son.. "his father" has.. is Stephen.

Edited July 13, 2010 by Cramer 1st MRB

[evo-lution ßÄЯ]

Its himself this mans father is my fathers son... so his father's son which would be him

[Cramer]

Its himself this mans father is my fathers son... so his father's son which would be him

Correct.. his father's son.. is Stephen... but.. there's still the "This man's father is" part.... whose father is the man in the picture? You already answered that... its Stephen.... this would mean.. Stephen has a son. The person in the picture... is Stephen's son..

[Cramer]

An easier way to look at it...

Stephen's father's son.. is the man's father.

Seeing how Stephen is an only child.. the son he is referring to of his father... would be him.. now read the rest of the sentence... "is the man's father."

This is stating that Stephen is the father of the man in the picture.

[Zahl 1st MRB]

ITS JESUS, GET OVER IT!!!!

[Goodwin 1st MRB]

Stephen is holding a picture of himself...

"This mans father" (he's pointing at a picture of himself)

"Is my fathers son" (Stephens fathers son, is Stephen)

See?

It doesn't mean Stephen is his own father at all.

The problem in this riddle lies in two places:

A ) the use of "this mans" in one phrase

and

B ) the use of "my" in the next phrase.

Because of this - there is ambiguity and I can kind of see how it could be answered multiple ways, a couple ways being 'right' (sorta).

However I still don't think it's his son, because...

Hold up a picture and pretend it's of your own 'son'

and say "This mans father" (which would be you)

"Is my fathers son" (which would be you - not your son - so the photo would HAVE to be of you, not your son)

I tried to diagram my logic behind my thoughts here (just for giggles):

[Cramer]

Janke.. please provide with the correct answer.. until then.. I will NEVER rest until it is proven!!!!!!!!! > lol.. seriously though Janke.. its driving me crazy.. what's the real answer?

[Goodwin 1st MRB]

Janke.. please provide with the correct answer.. until then.. I will NEVER rest until it is proven!!!!!!!!! > lol.. seriously though Janke.. its driving me crazy.. what's the real answer?

Same.

I told it to my gf and now she is thinking through it. She has also come to the conclusion that it can successfully be interpreted both ways. There are two correct answers here.

[Janke 1st MRB]

Stephen is holding a picture of himself...

"This mans father" (he's pointing at a picture of himself)

"Is my fathers son" (Stephens fathers son, is Stephen)

See?

It doesn't mean Stephen is his own father at all.

The problem in this riddle lies in two places:

A ) the use of "this mans" in one phrase

and

B ) the use of "my" in the next phrase.

Because of this - there is ambiguity and I can kind of see how it could be answered multiple ways, a couple ways being 'right' (sorta).

However I still don't think it's his son, because...

Hold up a picture and pretend it's of your own 'son'

and say "This mans father" (which would be you)

"Is my fathers son" (which would be you - not your son - so the photo would HAVE to be of you, not your son)

I tried to diagram my logic behind my thoughts here (just for giggles):

Think about what you said there, the picture he's pointing at he says "This man's FATHER is MY FATHER'S son." Listen to that, if you're saying it's a picture of himself, then he's saying that "This man, being myself,'s father, is my father's son." This is saying that "I am my father", because that man in the picture is the son of his father's son, so if it is him then he's his own father.

Because it's the son of his father's son, it's his son.

Here's where I sourced it, they've explained the lack of ambiguity and the definitive answer of his son much better than I have from about pages 1-3, after that it's late responses.

http://www.facepunch.com/showthread.php?t=969087

[Ritchey 1st MRB]

yep.

This mans father is my father's son.

My father's son = me

This mans father = my son

[Goodwin 1st MRB]

There are two correct answers! I proved it!

[Janke 1st MRB]

There are two correct answers! I proved it!

No, if you read farther, they disprove the 2 correct answers thing, saying that if there were then he would be his own father.

[Goodwin 1st MRB]

No, if you read farther, they disprove the 2 correct answers thing, saying that if there were then he would be his own father.

The only hangup is the 3rd person, 1st person.

Otherwise it works that there are 2 answers god damnit!

I CREATED A KICK ASS SUPER SWEET DIAGRAM THAT PROVES IT!!!! IT MUST BE TRUE!!!!! I HAVE THE POWER OF GRAYSKULL!!!!

[Ford 1st MRB]

There aren't two answers to this question, just dumb people that think they are right

It's Stephens son in the picture.

I'll attempt an explanation.

The picture is of a man... we are sure of that part.

Stephen is holding the picture, we are also aware of that fact.

Stephen has no siblings, also a fact.

Given the three facts listed above, logical thinking leads to one plausible answer.

This man's father = Person A

Is my Fathers Son = Person B

Since we know Stephen has no brothers and sisters, his fathers son is himself.

Therefore the statement: This man's father, would be a reference to Stephen being the father. Leaving common sense to deduce that the picture is Stephens son.

We'll, for the sake of argument, give Stephen's Father and Son names, and plug them into the equation.

Bill = Stephens father

Harry = Stephens son.

This Man's Father = Harry's Father Stephen

Is My Fathers Son = Is Bill's Son Stephen.

Therefore, The picture is of his son. I hope that makes sense.

[Janke 1st MRB]

And if Stephen is referring to himself in 3rd person, look at it:

This man's father = my father

Is my father's son = me

Therefore, I am my own father.

This is why there are no two answers, if he were referring to himself in the third person, which would make no sense seeing as he was asked of the photo and not himself, then he would be calling himself his own father.