Choose your pick...
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Suppose you are travelling on a boat along with your wife and mother. Suddenly your boat meets with an accident. Now the option is that you can save only 1 person, either your wife or your mother. Whom will you save and why? (This question was asked in a HR interview of a renowned s/w company some months back. I need a logical as well as a witty answer to this question) jhaga It would be glorious to see mankind at leisure for once. It is nothing but work, work, work. I cannot easily buy a blank-book to write thoughts in; they are commonly ruled for dollars and cents. A[man], seeing me making a minute in the fields, took it for granted that I was calculating my wages. — business! - I think that there is nothing, not even crime, more opposed to poetry, to philosophy, ay, to life itself, than this incessant business. Henry David Thoreau
jhaga wrote:
(This question was asked in a HR interview of a renowned s/w company some months back. I need a logical as well as a witty answer to this question)
First I'd mention to this person this question will go unanswered because it's unrelated. If they do not hire me, then they are stupid anyway and I would hate working there. Besides, nobody knows what they would do in a situation like that until they are actually in it. People can dream all day long about being noble, tough, etc. and still crumble when the shit hits the fan. It's pointless. People don't really know what they are made of until AFTER the pressure is on. The point is, this question does nothing to help an employer tell jack about an employee during an interview. On top of that, the possibility where you can only save two people is stupid. It's usually an all or none deal. Let's get real here. Now, to actualy answer the question, my instinct would be to sacrafice myself. However, I know my mother would kill me if I did that for her. I think it would be depend if I had kids or not and their age, and since she's further along her life. Well you get the idea. The fact of the matter is if you can only figure out how to save 2 out of 3 people anyway, you're still as stupid as the person asking the question in an interview. Jeremy Falcon
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Marc Clifton wrote:
Any company that uses a personality test as part of the interview I will walk out on. It definitely says something loud and clear about my personality.
Same here! I hate it when dumb people try to act smart, which clearly would the case if an interviewer posed this question.
Marc Clifton wrote:
As to your answer, I say, throw 'em both overboard.
What if you actually liked your wife? Or is that a pipe dream? :) Jeremy Falcon
Jeremy Falcon wrote:
What if you actually liked your wife? Or is that a pipe dream?
There's always more fish in the ocean. ;P (And no, I will not engage in a serious discussion) Marc Pensieve Functional Entanglement vs. Code Entanglement Static Classes Make For Rigid Architectures Some people believe what the bible says. Literally. At least [with Wikipedia] you have the chance to correct the wiki -- Jörgen Sigvardsson
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Suppose you are travelling on a boat along with your wife and mother. Suddenly your boat meets with an accident. Now the option is that you can save only 1 person, either your wife or your mother. Whom will you save and why? (This question was asked in a HR interview of a renowned s/w company some months back. I need a logical as well as a witty answer to this question) jhaga It would be glorious to see mankind at leisure for once. It is nothing but work, work, work. I cannot easily buy a blank-book to write thoughts in; they are commonly ruled for dollars and cents. A[man], seeing me making a minute in the fields, took it for granted that I was calculating my wages. — business! - I think that there is nothing, not even crime, more opposed to poetry, to philosophy, ay, to life itself, than this incessant business. Henry David Thoreau
jhaga wrote:
Suppose you are travelling on a boat along with your wife and mother. Suddenly your boat meets with an accident. Now the option is that you can save only 1 person, either your wife or your mother. Whom will you save and why? (This question was asked in a HR interview of a renowned s/w company some months back. I need a logical as well as a witty answer to this question)
Here is what I would say: "By restricting the solution to minimal set before asking what I would do, you are ensuring that I will not come up with any alternate solutions. If you are hiring a grunt programmer to do as he is told and never think, fine, but you are interviewing the wrong person. People hire me to solve their problems, not to repeat what they want to hear. Define the problem, the parameters with as much detail as you have and I will find a new solution you perhaps didn't think of and possibly save both. To truly answer the question, everyone in the situation would go with the gut instinct and not have time to evaluate a response until later, with either regret, remourse, or self-assurance. By asking the question out of context, you want me to find an alternate solution, or you want someone who will play by the rules of the game no matter what the outcome. If the former, define your problem, I'll give you a solution, if the latter, then we've just wasted both of our time." _________________________ Asu no koto o ieba, tenjo de nezumi ga warau. Talk about things of tomorrow and the mice in the ceiling laugh. (Japanese Proverb)
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Suppose you are travelling on a boat along with your wife and mother. Suddenly your boat meets with an accident. Now the option is that you can save only 1 person, either your wife or your mother. Whom will you save and why? (This question was asked in a HR interview of a renowned s/w company some months back. I need a logical as well as a witty answer to this question) jhaga It would be glorious to see mankind at leisure for once. It is nothing but work, work, work. I cannot easily buy a blank-book to write thoughts in; they are commonly ruled for dollars and cents. A[man], seeing me making a minute in the fields, took it for granted that I was calculating my wages. — business! - I think that there is nothing, not even crime, more opposed to poetry, to philosophy, ay, to life itself, than this incessant business. Henry David Thoreau
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I expect the question is a tactless way for them to see if you hold on to the past or embrace the future. ...cmk Save the whales - collect the whole set
cmk wrote:
I expect the question is a tactless way for them to see if you hold on to the past or embrace the future.
I expect you are right, however.... Anyone who rejects the lessons of the past always is as bad as one who lives in the past always, so the question is moot, they'll still hire the wrong person. :) _________________________ Asu no koto o ieba, tenjo de nezumi ga warau. Talk about things of tomorrow and the mice in the ceiling laugh. (Japanese Proverb)
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Then tell the interviewer it's not of his damn business and he should bother to take the time to ask real questions that will get to the root of this. Let's face it, it's not often you choose between life and death at your job. They should be relevant. It's usually the pseudo-intellects that hope they seem smart by asking "smart people" questions. Jeremy Falcon
Jeremy Falcon wrote:
Then tell the interviewer it's not of his damn business and he should bother to take the time to ask real questions that will get to the root of this.
I totally agree.
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Suppose you are travelling on a boat along with your wife and mother. Suddenly your boat meets with an accident. Now the option is that you can save only 1 person, either your wife or your mother. Whom will you save and why? (This question was asked in a HR interview of a renowned s/w company some months back. I need a logical as well as a witty answer to this question) jhaga It would be glorious to see mankind at leisure for once. It is nothing but work, work, work. I cannot easily buy a blank-book to write thoughts in; they are commonly ruled for dollars and cents. A[man], seeing me making a minute in the fields, took it for granted that I was calculating my wages. — business! - I think that there is nothing, not even crime, more opposed to poetry, to philosophy, ay, to life itself, than this incessant business. Henry David Thoreau
One of those "let's get a psychological profile of our applicant" questions, administered by those unqualified to actually analyse your answer in any meaningful fashion. Stupid. The logical "survival of the species" answer is your wife. The chivilrous answer is you sacrifice yourself and save them both The honourable son answer is your save your Mum. The callous witty answer (and what other kind of answer could be witty with such a question) is you save the cute blonde you met in the bar the previous evening. Or you do the sensible thing and just say "what exactly are the qualities in myself that pertain to this job that you are looking for by asking such a question?" cheers, Chris Maunder
CodeProject.com : C++ MVP
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Suppose you are travelling on a boat along with your wife and mother. Suddenly your boat meets with an accident. Now the option is that you can save only 1 person, either your wife or your mother. Whom will you save and why? (This question was asked in a HR interview of a renowned s/w company some months back. I need a logical as well as a witty answer to this question) jhaga It would be glorious to see mankind at leisure for once. It is nothing but work, work, work. I cannot easily buy a blank-book to write thoughts in; they are commonly ruled for dollars and cents. A[man], seeing me making a minute in the fields, took it for granted that I was calculating my wages. — business! - I think that there is nothing, not even crime, more opposed to poetry, to philosophy, ay, to life itself, than this incessant business. Henry David Thoreau
jhaga wrote:
Suppose you are travelling on a boat along with your wife and mother. Suddenly your boat meets with an accident. Now the option is that you can save only 1 person, either your wife or your mother. Whom will you save and why?
My answer would be to inform the interviewer that I respectfully decline the position offered due to the fact that any company that would ask such a question is not a company I could find much in common with... Visual Studio and SQL are dead. Long live Visual Studio and SQL!
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One of those "let's get a psychological profile of our applicant" questions, administered by those unqualified to actually analyse your answer in any meaningful fashion. Stupid. The logical "survival of the species" answer is your wife. The chivilrous answer is you sacrifice yourself and save them both The honourable son answer is your save your Mum. The callous witty answer (and what other kind of answer could be witty with such a question) is you save the cute blonde you met in the bar the previous evening. Or you do the sensible thing and just say "what exactly are the qualities in myself that pertain to this job that you are looking for by asking such a question?" cheers, Chris Maunder
CodeProject.com : C++ MVP
The idea is to present you with an absurd situation and see if you can find a solution by "lateral thinking". An answer could for example be if you know from which book the situation is taken. jhaga It would be glorious to see mankind at leisure for once. It is nothing but work, work, work. I cannot easily buy a blank-book to write thoughts in; they are commonly ruled for dollars and cents. A[man], seeing me making a minute in the fields, took it for granted that I was calculating my wages. — business! - I think that there is nothing, not even crime, more opposed to poetry, to philosophy, ay, to life itself, than this incessant business. Henry David Thoreau -- modified at 3:05 Monday 10th April, 2006
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The idea is to present you with an absurd situation and see if you can find a solution by "lateral thinking". An answer could for example be if you know from which book the situation is taken. jhaga It would be glorious to see mankind at leisure for once. It is nothing but work, work, work. I cannot easily buy a blank-book to write thoughts in; they are commonly ruled for dollars and cents. A[man], seeing me making a minute in the fields, took it for granted that I was calculating my wages. — business! - I think that there is nothing, not even crime, more opposed to poetry, to philosophy, ay, to life itself, than this incessant business. Henry David Thoreau -- modified at 3:05 Monday 10th April, 2006
jhaga wrote:
and see if you can find a solution by "lateral thinking".
And which that question does a horrible job of acheiving btw. Jeremy Falcon
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cmk wrote:
I expect the question is a tactless way for them to see if you hold on to the past or embrace the future.
I expect you are right, however.... Anyone who rejects the lessons of the past always is as bad as one who lives in the past always, so the question is moot, they'll still hire the wrong person. :) _________________________ Asu no koto o ieba, tenjo de nezumi ga warau. Talk about things of tomorrow and the mice in the ceiling laugh. (Japanese Proverb)
Jeffry J. Brickley wrote:
Anyone who rejects the lessons of the past always is as bad as one who lives in the past always, so the question is moot, they'll still hire the wrong person.
:laugh: Jeremy Falcon
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Does your wife not talk to your mother? ;) regards, Paul Watson Ireland Feed Henry!
eh, stop bugging me about it, give it a couple of days, see what happens.
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Any company that uses a personality test as part of the interview I will walk out on. It definitely says something loud and clear about my personality. As to your answer, I say, throw 'em both overboard. Marc Pensieve Functional Entanglement vs. Code Entanglement Static Classes Make For Rigid Architectures Some people believe what the bible says. Literally. At least [with Wikipedia] you have the chance to correct the wiki -- Jörgen Sigvardsson
Interesting reply, Marc. How does it make you feel? regards, Paul Watson Ireland Feed Henry!
eh, stop bugging me about it, give it a couple of days, see what happens.
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Suppose you are travelling on a boat along with your wife and mother. Suddenly your boat meets with an accident. Now the option is that you can save only 1 person, either your wife or your mother. Whom will you save and why? (This question was asked in a HR interview of a renowned s/w company some months back. I need a logical as well as a witty answer to this question) jhaga It would be glorious to see mankind at leisure for once. It is nothing but work, work, work. I cannot easily buy a blank-book to write thoughts in; they are commonly ruled for dollars and cents. A[man], seeing me making a minute in the fields, took it for granted that I was calculating my wages. — business! - I think that there is nothing, not even crime, more opposed to poetry, to philosophy, ay, to life itself, than this incessant business. Henry David Thoreau
Chuck Norris doesn't have accidents, accidents have Chuck Norris. Chuck Norris would part the sea and save both his wife and mother. Chuck Norris saved everyone from the Titanic. They are living in Iceland with his wife and mother. regards, Paul Watson Ireland Feed Henry!
eh, stop bugging me about it, give it a couple of days, see what happens.
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Suppose you are travelling on a boat along with your wife and mother. Suddenly your boat meets with an accident. Now the option is that you can save only 1 person, either your wife or your mother. Whom will you save and why? (This question was asked in a HR interview of a renowned s/w company some months back. I need a logical as well as a witty answer to this question) jhaga It would be glorious to see mankind at leisure for once. It is nothing but work, work, work. I cannot easily buy a blank-book to write thoughts in; they are commonly ruled for dollars and cents. A[man], seeing me making a minute in the fields, took it for granted that I was calculating my wages. — business! - I think that there is nothing, not even crime, more opposed to poetry, to philosophy, ay, to life itself, than this incessant business. Henry David Thoreau
Just ask all sorts of stupid questions like; - what's the weather like that day? - how long were we been married? - did my mother give me harsh punishments when growing up? - does my wife have a terminal illness? - is my wife pregnant? - am I drunk? Then pretend to think really hard for about a minute and just say.... "I have no clue". :laugh:
"... This man is obviously a psychotic." "We-he-ell, uh, I'd like to hold off judgement on a thing like that, sir, until all the facts are in." (Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb)
~ ScrollingGrid (cross-browser freeze-header control)
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Suppose you are travelling on a boat along with your wife and mother. Suddenly your boat meets with an accident. Now the option is that you can save only 1 person, either your wife or your mother. Whom will you save and why? (This question was asked in a HR interview of a renowned s/w company some months back. I need a logical as well as a witty answer to this question) jhaga It would be glorious to see mankind at leisure for once. It is nothing but work, work, work. I cannot easily buy a blank-book to write thoughts in; they are commonly ruled for dollars and cents. A[man], seeing me making a minute in the fields, took it for granted that I was calculating my wages. — business! - I think that there is nothing, not even crime, more opposed to poetry, to philosophy, ay, to life itself, than this incessant business. Henry David Thoreau
Well, first I would correct the interviewer:
jhaga wrote:
Suppose you are travelling on a boat along with your wife and mother-in-law. Suddenly your boat meets with an accident...
So, :rolleyes: Never forget: "Stay kul and happy" (I.A.)
David's thoughts / dnhsoftware.org / MyHTMLTidy -
Interesting reply, Marc. How does it make you feel? regards, Paul Watson Ireland Feed Henry!
eh, stop bugging me about it, give it a couple of days, see what happens.
Paul Watson wrote:
Interesting reply, Marc. How does it make you feel?
Where's the couch? I don't see no stinkin' couch in this here shrink room! Which part? The "I'd walk out" part or the "throw 'em both in" part? Marc Pensieve Functional Entanglement vs. Code Entanglement Static Classes Make For Rigid Architectures Some people believe what the bible says. Literally. At least [with Wikipedia] you have the chance to correct the wiki -- Jörgen Sigvardsson
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Paul Watson wrote:
Interesting reply, Marc. How does it make you feel?
Where's the couch? I don't see no stinkin' couch in this here shrink room! Which part? The "I'd walk out" part or the "throw 'em both in" part? Marc Pensieve Functional Entanglement vs. Code Entanglement Static Classes Make For Rigid Architectures Some people believe what the bible says. Literally. At least [with Wikipedia] you have the chance to correct the wiki -- Jörgen Sigvardsson
Marc Clifton wrote:
I don't see no stinkin' couch in this here shrink room!
That is interesting, Marc. Tell us why you don't need no stikin' couch?
Marc Clifton wrote:
Which part? The "I'd walk out" part or the "throw 'em both in" part?
Well, Marc, which would you like to talk about? regards, Paul Watson Ireland Feed Henry!
eh, stop bugging me about it, give it a couple of days, see what happens.
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Marc Clifton wrote:
I don't see no stinkin' couch in this here shrink room!
That is interesting, Marc. Tell us why you don't need no stikin' couch?
Marc Clifton wrote:
Which part? The "I'd walk out" part or the "throw 'em both in" part?
Well, Marc, which would you like to talk about? regards, Paul Watson Ireland Feed Henry!
eh, stop bugging me about it, give it a couple of days, see what happens.
Paul has turned into a human Eliza.[^]. My girlfriend always tries to get me to talk too. I suspect you will be less successful. Marc Pensieve Functional Entanglement vs. Code Entanglement Static Classes Make For Rigid Architectures Some people believe what the bible says. Literally. At least [with Wikipedia] you have the chance to correct the wiki -- Jörgen Sigvardsson
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Paul has turned into a human Eliza.[^]. My girlfriend always tries to get me to talk too. I suspect you will be less successful. Marc Pensieve Functional Entanglement vs. Code Entanglement Static Classes Make For Rigid Architectures Some people believe what the bible says. Literally. At least [with Wikipedia] you have the chance to correct the wiki -- Jörgen Sigvardsson
Marc Clifton wrote:
I suspect you will be less successful.
:laugh: I have less, uh, talents to call on than she. I wonder if an interviewer has ever tried Eliza on a candidate? regards, Paul Watson Ireland Feed Henry!
eh, stop bugging me about it, give it a couple of days, see what happens.