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What is the ‘why did the woman kill her sister’ riddle?

A puzzling riddle posted online has had people scratching their heads trying to figure it all out.

It might actually be a good thing to get the answer wrong though as a correct answer is meant to indicate you’re a psychopath – supposedly.

The riddle has got people scratching their heads for the answer
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The riddle has got people scratching their heads for the answerCredit: Getty Images - Getty

What is the 'why did the woman kill her sister' riddle?

The riddle poses the question: “A young woman is attending her mother's funeral.

“While there, she meets a man she has never seen before and falls in love immediately.

“After the funeral she tries to find him but cannot. Several days later she kills her sister.

“Why does she kill her sister?”

The ‘correct’ answer is: “She killed her sister in hopes that the man would be at the funeral.”

If you gave the correct answer, apparently this is a sign you’re a psychopath.

The riddle is similar to one said to be used in studies which poses the question: “A runaway trolley is about to run over and kill five people and you are standing on a footbridge next to a large stranger; your body is too light to stop the train, but if you push the stranger onto the tracks, killing him, you will save the five people. Would you push the man?”

The question is meant to show if you have psychopathic tendencies
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The question is meant to show if you have psychopathic tendenciesCredit: Getty Images - Getty

Why are you a psychopath if you get the answer correct?

If you say that you would push the man this is thought to illustrate psychopathic tendencies because even if you’re saving more people, you’re still committing a murder to do so.

Don’t worry too much though if you thought committing murder was the right way to go.

In reality answering one question doesn’t really tell the experts much.

Psychopathy, a personality disorder that falls on something of a spectrum, cannot be defined by answering just one single question.

No worthy academic would claim that one single question can reveal your inner psycho.

If someone has psychopathic tendencies, then they likely exhibit a few or most of these characteristics to varying degrees of severity: a lack of empathy, an ability to become emotionally detached, a lack of remorse, extremely bold social behaviors, a lack of fear, and unconscientiousness.

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