You’re Probably a Genius If You Can Find the Odd One Out in 10 Seconds or Less

The Epoch Times

Are you in need of a little pick-me-up today?

Take a break from your to-do list and challenge yourself to replenish your mental reserves.

Rumor has it that not many people are able to solve this odd-one-out puzzle in less than 10 seconds. Would you care to give it a try?

At first glance, the puzzle below consists of four rows of the letter S. However, things aren’t as simple as they seem! There’s an odd one out hiding in the throng of similar letters; can you find it?

Try making it more interesting by timing yourself and see how long it takes you to spot the impostor. If you can solve it in 10 seconds or less, you might be a genius!

The Epoch Times

Once you’ve given it your best shot, check out the solution at the bottom of the page.

Illustration - carballo/Shutterstock

And here is the solution!

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A sneaky S-shaped dollar sign is masquerading among all the other rows of the letter S! Did you find it on your own?

Did you find the odd one out in under 10 seconds? If you did, congratulations for having lightning-fast visual senses! If you didn’t, don’t be disheartened; we’ve got plenty more for you to try, so be sure to take a look at our puzzles section!

Why not try another letter-based odd-one-out puzzle, like this one?

If that one is too easy, how about trying this expert-level odd-one-out challenge?

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Puzzles like these are not only fun but also have cognitive and social benefits.

A 2011 neuropsychological study found that “cognitively stimulating leisure activities” such as word puzzles, visual puzzles, or number-based games can help prevent dementia in older patients.

But puzzles are also great for kids and young adults.

Teach.com reports that visual games can boost cognitive skills, memory retention, patience, and problem solving. That’s particularly useful to school or college students.

Illustration - Gyorgy Barna/Shutterstock

Besides puzzling, here are some other tips for keeping your mind sharp at work, according to Oxford Royale Academy:

Move around: Getting away from your desk for a while can replenish your enthusiasm. Listen to music you love: Instrumental music with a beat can boost your mood and motivation. Set mini-challenges: To break the monotony of work, set yourself mini-challenges, such as “How quickly can I organize my email inbox?”

If you enjoyed these puzzles, share them with your friends, family, and loved ones. And remind them just how much their brains can benefit from something so fun!