You notice a vibrant orange T-shirt featuring two jagged tears at the front. Below the image, there are four options – 2, 4, 6, or 8 holes – accompanied by a playful headline: “The number of holes you perceive in this T-shirt indicates whether you’re a narcissist.” Before you jump to conclusions about yourself, let’s consider this as a light-hearted, shareable brain-teaser that reveals more about your thought process than your mental state.
I’ll present the puzzle, share the answer that most puzzlers agree on, and — just for fun — offer personality insights for each option.
The puzzle: what qualifies as a “hole”?
The key to many visual riddles lies in the definition. When you examine a shirt, do you only count the visible tears? Or do you also factor in the built-in openings (neck, sleeves, waist)? Different valid interpretations can lead to varying answers.
Now, let’s explore all the potential “holes” that are visible or suggested in the illustration
- There are two noticeable rips in the front (large and clear).
- The neck opening (where you insert your head).
- The left sleeve opening (arm hole).
- The right sleeve opening (arm hole).
- The bottom/waist opening (where the torso passes through).
If you only count the rips, you’ll find 2.
If you consider just the standard openings of the garment (neck + 2 sleeves + bottom), you’ll find 4.
If you tally both the rips and the garment openings, you arrive at 6.
If you begin to count imaginary internal holes, buttons, or other clever tricks, you might get to 8, but that’s less frequently debated.
The generally accepted answer
