169 thoughts on “Pinocchio paradox

  1. NOW! HE SAID NOW.

    HE IS TELLING THE TRUTH, BUT STILL LYING!(ON THE GROUND)
    LAUGHING AT YOU ALL!
    HIS NOSE WILL GROW (NOW) RIGHT AFTER HE TELLS A LIE!

    SOLVED…

  2. ok firat off any of u who dont get it are completely mental, and anyone who put like 3 paragraphs on here is also mental, its a stupid picture, enjoy and move on

  3. lmao at all of you who don’t get it first off!

    All paradoxes pretty much revolve around the whole philosophical argument of ‘does effect precede cause? Exactly the same as the ‘if a tree falls in a forest when no one is around to hear it does it make a sound?’ and anyone who simply says yes to that ought to go and raise their IQ above 2!

    Without going into quantum physics explanations like Schrodingers cat etc….. you can assume that there is an uncertainty that will dictate the outcome, either in the form of of misunderstood concept (i.e. define a lie, and at what point it becomes a lie!) or something independent of the scenario not semantically involved in the proposition…

  4. Why do some of the people on here insult those that don’t get it? At least they admitted their ignorance and asked a perfectly honest question, yet the majority of laughs in the comments are not at the paradox but at those that do not understand the paradox. Isn’t philosophy about the quest for wisdom, I feel many of you are simply philistines with philosophical names. I especially like the person who feels the need to mention Schroedinger’s cat for no other reason than it is also a main stream paradox, knowing a few concepts doesn’t make you wise. Explanation without ridicule would be more helpful.

  5. Similar question:

    Dr. Mark Horndoogle was galavanting along in the arctic tundra when he was captured by extremely logical cannibals. When brought before the Chief, he was told “You may now speak your last words. If you utter truth, we will burn you at the stake, but if it is falsehood, we will boil you in oil.” The Professor thought for a moment, then made a statement that confounded the clever cannibals, such that they could only release him. What fiendish phrase did the good Professor deliver?

    It’s actually quite easy…

  6. The answer to the logical cannibals is: You will boil me in oil.
    Pinocchio’s statement is a paradox.

    with kind regards,

    Gepetto

  7. It’s like he says his nose will grow now and the word now means exactly at that moment so his nose would grow sense it didn’t grow at the moment he said it would. That’s just how I understood it. I doubt that I’m correct.

  8. This isn’t a paradox. Pinocchio isn’t god; “lying” isn’t defined as telling a falsehood, but rather DELIBERATELY telling a falsehood. If Pincchio’s nose grew every time he said something that wasn’t true, he could predict the future.

    For example, he could say “The economy will take a dive in the coming year” and know he’s right if his nose remains the same. It’s safe to say Pinocchio does NOT have this power.

    Therefore, it’s an issue of intent. It’s nearly impossible to lie about future events, because you can never know exactly what is going to happen.

    Pinocchio’s nose will not grow, because he isn’t “lying,” he’s just making a statement that can either be true or false. If it IS false, it is not through his own intent, therefore there is no lie involved.

    Long story short: Pinocchio cannot lie about what he doesn’t know. He also can be “wrong,” but not be a liar. Therefore, his nose won’t grow and there is no paradox.

  9. If the rule is: “Pinnochio’s nose grows when he tells a lie”. I think that his nose will grow as a result of this statement. Not because he told a lie (it would be a truth), but simply to preserve the rule.

    If the rule is “Pinnochio’s nose grows when and ONLY WHEN he tells a lie”, then there seems to be a paradox. Though the way Kris explains it does make sense: maybe this isn’t a lie because it’s a prediction for which Pinnochio has no idea of the outcome and so it can’t really be a lie.

  10. Lying is not the same as saying something that isn’t true. Let’s pretend I’m Pinocchio, and I see a bright light in the sky that I’m convinced is an alien spaceship. If I say “I saw a spaceship last night,” I’m either right or wrong, but because I think I’m telling the truth, I’m not lying.

    In the same way, if I think my nose is about to grow, and I say so, I may be wrong, but because I think I’m telling the truth, I’m therefore not lying.

  11. hehehe… nice comebacks. for me it is simple. the nose, as the ears are the only (if i do not mistake) parts of the human body that grow constantly and will grow as long as you live. so telling that his nose will grow now is not a lie. -.- super “epic” paradox.. overated already this epic word

  12. It is physically impossible for Pinnochio to make this statement. If his nose grows, he is telling the truth. but his nose can’t grow unless he lies. Therefore he cannot form the words for this phrase, because it is an impossible outcome.

  13. How can some of you people be so stupid? It’s NOT difficult to understand. Good Lord!

    @Bmac: that’s why it’s called a paradox..

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