How many holes are there on this shirt?

 

**How Many Holes Are There on This Shirt?
A Simple Question That Tricks the Brain**

At first glance, the question seems almost childish: *How many holes are there on this shirt?* It sounds like something you’d hear in a classroom full of bored students or see attached to a viral image on social media. Yet this deceptively simple question has confused millions of people, sparked heated comment-section debates, and revealed something fascinating about how our minds work.

This isn’t really a question about shirts. It’s a question about perception, assumptions, and the shortcuts our brains take every day.

So let’s slow down, look carefully, and unravel why such a basic puzzle continues to trip people up—and what it teaches us about thinking more clearly.

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## The Viral Shirt Puzzle Explained

You’ve probably seen the image: a simple illustration or photo of a shirt, often with several visible rips or cut-out holes. The caption asks:

**“How many holes are there on this shirt?”**

People rush to answer. Some say four. Others say six. Some insist it’s eight. A few confidently declare that *everyone else is wrong*.

And that’s where the fun begins.

The correct answer depends on whether you’re actually *counting*—or just reacting. 

Our brains are designed to be efficient, not perfect. When we see a familiar object like a shirt, we don’t analyze it from scratch. We rely on mental shortcuts called **heuristics**.

Instead of asking, *“What constitutes a hole?”*, the brain often asks, *“What looks unusual here?”*

So we count the obvious tears or cutouts—and forget the basics.

This is where most people go wrong.

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## Step One: Defining What a “Hole” Is

Before counting anything, we need to agree on a definition.

A **hole** is:

> An opening that goes all the way through an object, from one side to the other.

That definition matters more than you might think.

Decorations, outlines, shadows, or printed shapes don’t count. Neither do folds or wrinkles. Only actual openings qualify.

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Step Two: The Holes Everyone Forgets