Lawyer Joke

Nationality: Asian-American
Age: 18
Occupation: Student
Residence: San Marino, California
Performance Date: April 2007
Primary Language: English
Language: Mandarin

Q: What don’t you want, but when you have it, you don’t want to lose it?
A: A lawsuit.

My informant learned this riddle on a tour bus in Europe while she was on vacation.  Since she loves riddles and puzzles, she looks forward to hearing new ones to think about and solve.  Each time she learns a new riddle, she tells them to her friends to see if they can figure it out.  Her friends know that they can go to her if they want to hear a riddle.  Lauren also tells this riddle, and other riddles that she has collectively learned, when she or other people are bored.  She believes that saying riddles is a good source of entertainment.  It takes the way the silence or boredom that is present within a group of people.
Lauren really likes this riddle because it’s good.  It makes people think a little without needing to think too hard.  It doesn’t take a long time to tell, so it’s an easy way to amuse people.  Lauren especially likes this joke because she couldn’t figure it out for a long time.  Because Lauren has heard so many riddles, she can usually figure them out pretty quickly.  This one caught Lauren off guard, so she liked pondering over the riddle.
This riddle is actually a very clever one.  When my informant told it to me, I could not get the answer.  After she told me the answer, the entire riddle made sense to me.  I like these riddles because it gives me a chance to think.  Riddles are so easy once you know them, but they’re so hard.  Sometimes I end up thinking too hard when the answer is right there in front of me.  With riddles, people can discover their thinking patterns.  I think that riddles are a great way to educate children because they force children to think outside the box.

Annotation:
“Don’t Lose It.” Braingle. 6 April 2007     <http://www.braingle.com/brainteasers/teaser.php?op=2;id=1927;comm=0>.
Q:You do not want to have it, 
But when you do have it, 
You do not want to lose it? 
What is it?
A: A Lawsuit.