Make this without a calculator or paper just your mind:

Hello Riddle Lovers!

This riddle got you confused?

You have 1000,
add 40,
add 1000,
add 30
again 1000.
add 20,
add again 1000
and finally 10.

What is the result?

Don’t worry, I got you with the answer and explanation.

The correct answer is 4100.

Huh? You say it’s 5000?

Well, that’s strange…

Why don’t you run it through a calculator now and check the answer yourself? Surprised ha?

Here’s what’s going on:

This riddle is a classic example of a psychological trick where your brain might jump to a wrong conclusion because of a pattern.

Here’s what the riddle tells you to do:

1. Start with 1000.
2. Add 40. Now you have 1040.
3. Add another 1000. Now you have 2040.
4. Add 30. Now you have 2070.
5. Add another 1000. Now you have 3070.
6. Add 20. Now you have 3090.
7. Add another 1000. Now you have 4090.
8. Finally, add 10. Now you have 4100.

The trick is that people often rush through the riddle and say the answer is 5000 because they expect the pattern to continue adding 1000 each time. But if you add it up carefully, the correct answer is 4100, just like the riddle’s solution says.

It’s a fun way to see how our brains can sometimes skip steps when we’re going through a sequence and assume a pattern will continue the same way, even when it changes. It’s important to pay attention to each step, just like when you solve math problems in school!