I am dubious about any definition of “puzzle” for which the claim “This puzzle is not fun” is tautologically false, regardless of either the speaker or the puzzle in question.
That’s interesting! I’ve had very different experiences:
When I’m trying to solve a puzzle and learn that it had no good answer (i.e. was just nonsense, not even rising to the level of trick question), it’s very frustrating. It retroactively makes me unhappy about having spent all that time on it, even though I was enjoying myself at the time.
I certainly agree that being made to treat nonsense as though it were sense is frustrating. And, sure, if things either have a right answer or are nonsense, then I agree with you, and with Scott Kim. Nonsense is not a puzzle.
But I’m not sure that’s true.
I’m also not sure that replacing “a right answer” with “a good answer” as you just did preserves meaning.
For example, I’m not sure there’s a right answer to all puzzling questions about, say, human behavior, or ethics. There are good answers, though, and the questions themselves aren’t all nonsense.
Scott Kim, What is a Puzzle?
A puzzle is fun,
and it has a right answer.
http://www.scottkim.com/thinkinggames/whatisapuzzle/
I am dubious about any definition of “puzzle” for which the claim “This puzzle is not fun” is tautologically false, regardless of either the speaker or the puzzle in question.
If a puzzle is not fun, it is a chore, a problem or in the worst case, high school math homework.
Good point, probably the title should be “What is a good puzzle?” then.
I disagree about #2, incidentally.
It’s a puzzle if I’m having fun trying to solve it.
That’s interesting! I’ve had very different experiences:
When I’m trying to solve a puzzle and learn that it had no good answer (i.e. was just nonsense, not even rising to the level of trick question), it’s very frustrating. It retroactively makes me unhappy about having spent all that time on it, even though I was enjoying myself at the time.
I certainly agree that being made to treat nonsense as though it were sense is frustrating.
And, sure, if things either have a right answer or are nonsense, then I agree with you, and with Scott Kim.
Nonsense is not a puzzle.
But I’m not sure that’s true.
I’m also not sure that replacing “a right answer” with “a good answer” as you just did preserves meaning.
For example, I’m not sure there’s a right answer to all puzzling questions about, say, human behavior, or ethics. There are good answers, though, and the questions themselves aren’t all nonsense.