You’ll often see:
Strong opinions
Arguments
Insistence that others are “overthinking it”
This confidence comes from familiarity. The problem looks like something we’ve seen before, so we trust our instincts.
Ironically, the more confident someone feels, the less likely they are to double-check their work.
In psychology, this is closely related to the Dunning-Kruger effect, where people overestimate their understanding of something simple because they don’t realize what they’re missing.
Education vs. Everyday Math
Another reason these problems cause confusion is the gap between academic math and everyday math.
In daily life:
Estimates are fine
Speed matters more than accuracy
Context fills in gaps
In math problems:
Precision matters
Assumptions must be explicit
Rules apply even when they feel unintuitive
Many adults haven’t used formal math rules in years. When presented with a problem, they rely on practical intuition instead of academic structure.
That doesn’t make them unintelligent—it makes them human.
The Social Media Effect
Social media amplifies the confusion.
When people see:
Thousands of comments
Conflicting answers
Confident explanations on both sides
They assume the problem must be ambiguous or subjective.
