A simple picture of an orange T-shirt has managed to divide the internet, all thanks to a viral brain teaser that asks one seemingly innocent question: “How many holes do you see — 2, 4, 6, or 8?”
At first glance, it looks like just another online riddle, the kind people scroll past while sipping their morning coffee. But for millions who stopped to think it through, the puzzle became an obsession — a test of logic, perception, and maybe even personality. Some even claimed it could reveal whether you’re a narcissist, though that part, as you’ll see, is pure clickbait fun.
The image shows a plain orange T-shirt lying flat, with two visible rips near the middle. The challenge seems straightforward, but the more you look, the trickier it becomes. Do you count just the tears? Or do you include the openings that make a shirt wearable — the neck hole, the two sleeves, and the bottom hem?
That’s where the debate begins.
The puzzle isn’t really about fashion or even intelligence. It’s about how you think. Some people focus only on what they see, while others consider structure and function. It asks whether you interpret “holes” literally — as in the tears in the fabric — or conceptually, as in all the openings that make up the shirt’s design.
To work it out, let’s list the options carefully. There are:
Two torn holes in the fabric
One hole for the neck
Two for the sleeves
One at the bottom, where you’d put it on
If you count only the rips, you’ll say two. If you only include the standard openings — neck, sleeves, and bottom — you’ll get four. But if you combine both the rips and the built-in holes, the total becomes six.
Some particularly imaginative people go even further. They argue that since you can see through both sides of the rips, each opening technically creates two visible edges, which could bring the total to eight. Others imagine there might be back-side tears that aren’t visible in the photo, adding another layer of confusion.
In reality, most agree that the best logical answer is six. By definition, “a hole” is any complete passage through a material, visible from both sides. That means the two rips count, along with the four functional shirt openings. It’s not about how damaged the shirt looks, but how you define an opening in the first place.
But here’s where things get funny — and viral. The original version of the puzzle didn’t just ask people to count holes. It also teased a “hidden personality meaning.” Supposedly, the number you chose revealed something about your character.
According to the post:
If you answered 2, you’re a practical thinker who takes things at face value.
If you said 4, you’re a rule-follower who likes structure and order.
Those who chose 6 are described as creative yet logical — people who think beyond the obvious but still keep their reasoning grounded.
And if you boldly claimed 8, you’re supposedly imaginative, a dreamer who sees possibilities others miss.
Some posts added a dramatic twist, claiming that anyone who insisted their answer was the only “correct” one might be showing signs of narcissism — because they couldn’t imagine a different perspective being valid. That’s where the riddle’s title came from. Of course, there’s no psychological truth behind it. It’s just a playful exaggeration meant to fuel debate (and clicks).
Still, there’s something oddly revealing about the whole discussion. This simple picture exposed how differently people approach the same question. Some are visual learners who rely on what they literally see, while others instinctively imagine unseen details or question the assumptions of the puzzle itself.
The charm of the T-shirt riddle lies in its simplicity. It doesn’t test intelligence or personality in any scientific way, but it does highlight the quirks of human perception. Two people can look at the same thing and interpret it completely differently — not because one is right or wrong, but because they focus on different details.
That’s the real takeaway here. The T-shirt puzzle doesn’t diagnose narcissism, nor does it measure your IQ. What it does show, in the simplest, most entertaining way possible, is how our minds work. Whether you see 2, 4, 6, or 8 holes, your answer says less about who you are and more about how you think.
So the next time someone flashes that familiar orange shirt and smugly asks how many holes you see, don’t overthink it. Just smile, give your answer, and remember: it’s not really about the holes at all. It’s about the way we fill them — with logic, imagination, or maybe a bit of stubborn pride.