easylogic

If you were standing directly on the south pole facing north, which direction would you travel if you took one step backward?

North

Why this works

This riddle plays with the concept of direction and perspective. When you are at the South Pole, you are literally at the southernmost point on Earth; thus, every direction you face while standing there is north. So, if you take one step backward, which is away from the South Pole and toward the north, you would indeed be moving north. It's a clever twist on how we think about direction, emphasizing that "backward" in this case means away from the pole rather than a conventional backward step.

Common Wrong Answers

“South”

Standing on the south pole and facing north means your back is towards the south. Taking a step backward would actually mean moving north, not south.

“East”

At the south pole, all directions are technically north. Stepping backward while facing north does not lead to east, as east is not a valid direction at this specific point.

“West”

Similar to east, west is not a valid direction when standing at the south pole. Stepping backward while facing north would still result in moving north.

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