Only those with 'high IQs' can solve TikTok's viral pen challenge that has stumped many

Brainteasers are designed to test your lateral thinking skills , but sometimes, they can be just too frustratingly tough to solve. Well, that's what several TikTokers users felt after trying their hand at the "pen challenge" making the rounds on social media.

A TikTok video posted by user Mr. Tricks, with 10 pens arranged in the sequence of 1, 2, 3, 4, had his 139,000 followers scratching their heads as he invited them to move a single pen and reverse the lineup to 4, 3, 2, 1.

The puzzle master explained: "Currently there are 10 pens set up 1, 2, 3, and 4 from left to right. So we have to move one pen and put it in any place and the order would be reversed. There would be 4, 3, 2, and 1. Can you solve this? Take your time."

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If you can't see the video above, click here.

Some viewers figured out the pen conundrum instantly, while others expressed their befuddlement in the comments. One person wrote: "I don't understand." Another shared: "Emotional damage," reports the Mirror . A further user confessed: "I'm slow."

Mr Tricks eventually shared how simple the solution is just take the pen second from the end in the quartet and slide it between the lone pen and the pair. Another clever individual literally penned the solution, remarking: "Move the second pen from the (4) and put it at (1)."

Someone else piped in: "Second last one on the 4 to between the 1 and two pens to make 4" while another solver boasted with glee: "That was easy."

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Mindvalley asserts that brainteasers are excellent for mental fortification, as they challenge one's lateral thinking skills when solving a conundrum, logic puzzle, or riddle. Their statement explains: "Lateral thinking is a form of problem-solving that utilizes a more creative, less direct approach to the problem."

The organization goes on to say, "Analytical, logical problem-solving encourages vertical thinking, which is an approach we're often taught when dealing with math equations. Lateral thinking is the indirect approach. It helps us view problems in an entirely new light. It helps us find unique, creative solutions we might never have before imagined."

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