October 21, 2025: The Unseen Solutions

This riddle fools almost everybody.

For years, I’ve shared it with everyone from kids in classrooms to executives in boardrooms.

My estimate is maybe 1% has guessed correctly, even though the answer relies on pure common sense and delivers an “Aha!” the moment it clicks.

Here you go:

A man is writing a letter.
The power goes out.
He dies.
Why?

(answer at the bottom)

The solution is simple, but difficult to see. And this puzzle offers so many life lessons:

  • We tend to overcomplicate problems

  • Context is everything

  • Our first perception is rarely the whole picture

  • A single perspective can lock you from vital clues

  • Hindsight makes the invisible seem obvious

  • Beware the path of least resistance in problem-solving

  • The most important part of any story is often what’s left unsaid — learn to read the silence

  • Always ask “why” until you hit the root

Are you ready for the great reveal?

So, why does the man die?

He’s in an airplane, skywriting.

Whenever you tackle a challenge, remember… solutions often hide in plain sight.

Brian Forrester