Riddle: How Many Pages Are Torn Out?

Most people answer confidently—and most people are wrong.

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## Why This Riddle Is So Effective

This riddle works because it exploits something deeply human: **pattern-based thinking**.

We’re taught early on that:

* Pages are counted individually
* Removing two numbers means removing two pages
* 16 − 15 + 1 = 2

That logic feels airtight.

But books don’t work the way loose sheets of paper do.

And that’s where the twist lives.

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## The Assumption We Don’t Realize We’re Making

When you hear “pages 15 and 16,” your brain imagines two separate pieces of paper.

But in a physical book, pages aren’t independent units.

They’re printed on **sheets**.

Each sheet contains:

* One page number on the front
* Another page number on the back

That single detail changes everything.

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