“What is greater than God, more evil than the devil, the rich need it, the poor have it, and if you eat it you die?”

“Nothing!”

Geoff does not recall where he got this true riddle. He usually tells this riddle at family functions during the holidays because it is all-ages appropriate; he can tell the joke in front of his grandmother and children. He says he likes to tell it because everyone understands it right away, and people like it. He finds it amusing because supposedly more kindergarteners get the answer right than Stanford University graduates.

Just like Geoff, this particular riddle is pretty clean-cut and inoffensive. It is fitting he picks riddles that fit his personality and identity. He is very conscientious so he would never tell a riddle that could possibly offend someone. Also, he is religious, so it would make sense that he would say nothing is greater than God and nothing is more evil than the devil.

For me, this riddle was not a big surprise. The answer seemed really obvious afterwards, and I feel like had I thought about it, I would have eventually gotten it. This riddle does not really seem like much of an intellectual challenge, it seems to be pretty easy. However, I guess that is the point since Geoff says everyone laughs because it is so easy to understand.

I am surprised he tells riddles at family functions. I am not surprised that he tells this kind of riddle at family functions- meaning a completely clean one- but I just did not think people recited riddles very often anymore.

I think this riddle says something about how Americans view what they should be like. Americans tend to repress aggressive or sexual tendencies. It makes sense that Geoff would tell a completely clean riddle in public because that is what he is supposed to do. He is not supposed to tell dirty riddles or jokes at a family function. He is conforming to how society says he should interact at family functions. Society says he should avoid saying anything risqué. I think this is kind of sad because it is not realistic. While I agree that one should not tell dirty jokes or unclean riddles in front of grandparents or young children, I do not think folklore or things in general should be over-censored. Although usually jokes are a way to fight against authority and restrictions, this riddle shows that riddles can also be a way of reinforcing social norms.

“I come in darkness, but fill the mind with light. I bring enlightenment to some, while gripping others in the hand of fear. With me it can be a journey of inexplicable joy and sorrow. What I will show you will often be unreachable. Journey with me and what you see may haunt you. Journey with me and you may never want to return home. Journey with me and you will never know when it will end. What am I?”

“A dream.”

Kimiko, who goes by Kimi, learned this true riddle- a riddle with all the information necessary to figure out the answer- from her friend Daniel, who also attends UNC Greensboro. She was bored and asked him for some sort of entertainment, such as a joke. He told her this riddle instead. She said she will tell it to the next bored person who wants to be entertained.

She thinks of the riddle as a personal challenge. She is the type of person who prides herself on her intelligence. Riddles are difficult and she feels a sense of pride and triumph when she answers correctly.

I was surprised when she said she wanted to tell me a riddle. I do not really consider a riddle a popular form of entertainment. Typically, when I tell someone I am bored I want him or her to tell me a joke or a story, not a riddle. Kimi shows that riddles are still popular to some people. I never really viewed riddles as having much value, but Kimi showed me that they have a lot of intellectual value. They are not a bland, passive form of entertainment. Unlike watching television, one has to really think and struggle when engaged in a riddle.

I really liked this riddle as soon as she told me it. The question is eerie, slightly spooky, and mysterious—exactly like a dream. The riddle sounds dreamlike in quality. The riddle makes complete sense. One typically dreams at night, or “in darkness.” Dreams are usually associated with light; they bring activity to a dormant mind. Dreams can be huge eye-openers for people. They might experience something they never thought they would; it can be very enlightening. Nightmares fall under the category of dreams. Nightmares undoubtedly fill many with fear, doubt, and uncertainty. One can feel a wide range of emotions while dreaming, including joy and sorrow. Dreams have no bounds or limits. For instance, one can dream that he or she is flying. One will never know what it is like to fly unaided in reality though, thus flying is unattainable. Dreams can be haunting, especially if they are nightmares. While dreaming, one might dream something better than reality could ever offer. For example, if one dreamed about a deceased loved one that they missed dearly, they might not want to wake up. One can never tell when dreams are going to end. Knowing the answer to the riddle makes me feel clever and more knowledgeable. The answer seems far more obvious now that I know the answer and I made sense of the prompt. However, I am sure I still would have never guessed the answer had Kimi not told me. Because this riddle really resonates with me, I have already told multiple people this riddle and I plan on telling more.