This classic riddle asks: What is lighter than a feather, but even the strongest person can’t hold it for five minutes?
The answer is: your breath.
Your breath has almost no weight, so it is certainly lighter than a feather. But no matter how strong someone is physically, holding their breath for five full minutes is extremely difficult and, for most people, impossible.
The trick is that the riddle makes you think about something you can physically hold in your hands. Instead, “hold” is being used in a different way: holding your breath.
That simple change in meaning is what makes the riddle work. Strength has nothing to do with the answer, which is why even the strongest person is no better at solving the challenge than anyone else.
