Buridan's bridge
Okay kiddo, let’s imagine a special bridge called Buridan’s Bridge. This bridge is special because it can talk and it likes to ask tricky questions to people who try to cross it.
Now, let’s say you’re walking towards this bridge and you meet a wise man who tells you about the bridge’s trick question. The bridge asks you a question about what you’re going to do when you reach the other side of it. The tricky part is that if you lie about your answer, the bridge will collapse and you’ll fall into the water!
Here’s an example: Let’s say the bridge asks you, “Are you going to jump up and down when you reach the other side?” If you’re planning to jump up and down, then you’ll say “Yes”. But if you’re not planning to jump up and down, you might still be tempted to lie and say “Yes” to avoid the bridge collapsing. However, this is a problem because the bridge will know and it will collapse anyway!
This is called Buridan’s Bridge paradox. It’s a tricky situation where there is no correct answer because no matter what you say, you might be stuck in a contradiction where you either lie or tell the truth and the outcome is the same either way.
So, the wise man tells you to simply choose your words carefully and avoid the trap of contradiction. You can say, “I won’t jump up and down” or “I can’t answer that question” or “I’m just passing through”. These answers won’t contradict your actions and the bridge won’t collapse.
And that, my little friend, is the tricky story of Buridan’s Bridge!
Now, let’s say you’re walking towards this bridge and you meet a wise man who tells you about the bridge’s trick question. The bridge asks you a question about what you’re going to do when you reach the other side of it. The tricky part is that if you lie about your answer, the bridge will collapse and you’ll fall into the water!
Here’s an example: Let’s say the bridge asks you, “Are you going to jump up and down when you reach the other side?” If you’re planning to jump up and down, then you’ll say “Yes”. But if you’re not planning to jump up and down, you might still be tempted to lie and say “Yes” to avoid the bridge collapsing. However, this is a problem because the bridge will know and it will collapse anyway!
This is called Buridan’s Bridge paradox. It’s a tricky situation where there is no correct answer because no matter what you say, you might be stuck in a contradiction where you either lie or tell the truth and the outcome is the same either way.
So, the wise man tells you to simply choose your words carefully and avoid the trap of contradiction. You can say, “I won’t jump up and down” or “I can’t answer that question” or “I’m just passing through”. These answers won’t contradict your actions and the bridge won’t collapse.
And that, my little friend, is the tricky story of Buridan’s Bridge!