Hardest riddle I've ever seen: help?

Question

0 After my Anatomy and Physiology final, our teacher gave us a paper with riddles on it to do for fun. I have asked MANY people, and no one can figure it out. I figured all of the others out quite quickly and on my own, but this one has stumped me. It goes like this:02br01b02br00The other day, I heard the following conversation:02br00"Charles is related to you the same way I am to your son."02br00"And you are related to me in the same way Charles is to you."02br02br00How are Charles and the second man related?02b02br02br00All I know is that it has a legitamate answer (it's not "they aren't" or "they're friends".)02br02br00Anyone care to take a shot at it?0-

MrPedantic · Accepted Answer

0"Charles is related to you the same way I am to your son."02br
00"And you are related to me in the same way Charles is to you."02br
02br
00Let's make it easier.02br
02br
00In the first sentence, let "you" = Bill, let "I" = Fred, and call Bill's son Paul:02br
02br
01b001. "Charles is related to Bill the same way Fred is to Bill's son Paul."02br
02b02br
00Then, in the second sentence, "I" also = Bill and "you" = Fred:02br
02br
01b002. "And Fred is related to Bill in the same way Charles is to Fred."02b02br
02br
00From 1, we know that 02br
02br
01b003. Charles and Fred are different generations.02b02br
02br
00From 2 + 3, we then know that 02br
02br
01b004. Fred and Bill are different generations.02b02br
02br
00If Charles and Bill are of the same generation, then Fred and Paul are of the same generation. But 2 makes that impossible. So 02br
02br
01b005. Charles and Bill are of different generations.02b02br
02br
00By 2, we know that Charles and Fred must be either both younger or both older than Bill. But 1 makes the former impossible, because of 3. Therefore02br
02br
01b006. Charles and Fred are both older than Bill.02b02br
02br
00By 1, we then know that Charles is older than Fred.02br
02br
00The sequence in terms of generations is therefore:02br
01ol

00Charles 02br
01li
00Fred (1st man) 02br
01li
00Bill (2nd man) 02br
01li
00Paul02br
02li

0-

Julielai · Answer

0I'm kind of dense today. I can't get any solution to work for me. 05002br
02br
00(The only way I make this work -- sort of -- is if Charles is "I".)010id10

MrPedantic · Answer

0How about this way, Julie?02br
02br
00Father: "Your grandfather is related to you, son, in the same way I am related to 01i00your02i00 son."02br
00Son: "And you are related to me, father, in the same way Grandfather is related to you."02br
02br
00Though clearly, they have very elementary conversations in this family.02br
02br
00MrP0-

Julielai · Answer

0Oh! I assumed both lines were spoken by the same person. No wonder I was confused.02br
02br
00(I merely cut and paste the two lines into a Notepad without going back to the original post. Should have reread the original question.)0-

Anonymous · Answer

0Charles is the 2nd man's son, because the 2nd man is the 1st person's son, making Charles the 1st person's grandson.02br
02br
00Three generations of men.0-

Anonymous · Answer

0Maybe father and son? 0-

Mewithmyself · Answer

charles is related to you as a cousin and the second man is your cousin

MrPedantic · Answer

I'm not sure that works; if Charles is #2's cousin, and #2 is #1's cousin, how can the relationship of Charles to #2 be the same as the relationship of #1 to #2's son?

Anonymous · Answer

step cousins

Anonymous · Answer

i thnk it all goes back to adam and eve with the whole relation thing.

Hardest riddle I've ever seen: help?

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