The Razor Rule
brainteaser
In a remote village, a notice outside the only barbershop describes its male barber’s duty with perfect precision: he shaves every man in the village who does not shave himself. The notice also insists that he shaves no man who shaves himself. There are no exceptions, and the barber is himself a man who lives in the village.
Can a barber consistently follow this rule, or is the notice describing an impossible situation?
Hints
Hint 1
Hint 2
Hint 3
Solution
Commit an attempt to unseal the proof. Write your answer — right or wrong, thinking it through is the point.
Can the barber described by the notice exist?
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