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A man is alone in his flat on the 22nd floor of a building. In order to commit suicide, he jumps out of the window.

After falling a few floors, he hears a phone ringing inside the building. He dies of a heart attack before reaching the ground, why ?

Facts :

The floor number isn't relevant.
The man was in perfect health.

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    $\begingroup$ Could the phone ringing be irrelevant, and maybe he just had a heart attack from the fear of his fall? $\endgroup$
    – Mark N
    Jul 9, 2015 at 14:44
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    $\begingroup$ If the man was 'in perfect health', then why would he jump out of a window to commit suicide? Clearly he does not have very good mental health. $\endgroup$
    – Mark N
    Jul 9, 2015 at 14:48
  • $\begingroup$ 5 seconds before I could get my answer posted :-( $\endgroup$
    – Aggie Kidd
    Jul 9, 2015 at 15:17
  • $\begingroup$ He has very good mental health and a good reason to commit suicide despite that. The phone ringing isn't irrelevant. $\endgroup$
    – Viper
    Jul 9, 2015 at 15:21
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    $\begingroup$ Just a question. Is it possible to die of a heart attack in four seconds (the time it takes to fall 22 stories)? $\endgroup$
    – user3294068
    Jul 9, 2015 at 15:35

7 Answers 7

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The man lives in a post-apocalyptic world. He believes he is the last person alive. Unable to live with his loneliness and grief, he decides to commit suicide. But the phone ringing indicates that he is not, in fact, the sole survivor, and the shock of this realization is what brings on the heart attack.

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    $\begingroup$ How does the phone or its provider, or anything similar, have power? $\endgroup$
    – Mark N
    Jul 9, 2015 at 15:34
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    $\begingroup$ It's solar powered. $\endgroup$
    – dennisdeems
    Jul 9, 2015 at 15:35
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    $\begingroup$ Well I'm no telephony expert, but I don't see why anything couldn't be solar powered, but there's also wind, for the sun-haters. ;) $\endgroup$
    – dennisdeems
    Jul 9, 2015 at 15:42
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    $\begingroup$ There is nothing mentioned in the question to lead to this conclusion... $\endgroup$
    – warspyking
    Jul 9, 2015 at 18:07
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    $\begingroup$ What if who was calling was a spamming computer? I receive lots of callings with those. $\endgroup$
    – Victor Stafusa - BozoNaCadeia
    Jul 9, 2015 at 19:34
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He thinks he is the last Person on Earth, thats why he decides to commit suicide. When he hears his Phone ringing, he realizes he's not alone.

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  • $\begingroup$ Well done, seems like you are the first with the right answer :) $\endgroup$
    – Viper
    Jul 9, 2015 at 15:10
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    $\begingroup$ @viper dennisdeems was first $\endgroup$
    – TroyAndAbed
    Jul 9, 2015 at 15:11
  • $\begingroup$ Indeed ... I miss read the time of the posts, sorry ! $\endgroup$
    – Viper
    Jul 9, 2015 at 15:13
  • $\begingroup$ I like this succinct phrasing, though :) $\endgroup$
    – dennisdeems
    Jul 9, 2015 at 15:16
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This man frequently dreams and in those dreams he is always deaf, which makes the sights and actions of his dreams all the more exciting. Not particularly thrilled with a dream of being alone in an apartment, he decides to wake himself up with the fear of falling that stirs so many of us from sleep.

After falling a few floors, however, he hears a phone ringing. While a phone ringing a few floors below his flat usually wouldn't worry him too much, in this case it comes with the realization that he is, in fact, awake, and truly plummeting to his death. This shock induces cardiac arrest and he dies before he hits the ground.

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Could be similar to My wife has died:

He believed that his wife is going to die because of a power outage. He then hears the phone ring realizes that the power is back and she'll be fine, yet he's killed himself for nothing.

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  • $\begingroup$ Good idea but the man is alone in his flat ! His wife could be else where in the power outage area but that seems a bit far fetched $\endgroup$
    – Viper
    Jul 9, 2015 at 15:15
  • $\begingroup$ That's a bit far fetched, but being the last man on earth isn't? $\endgroup$
    – Deacon
    Jul 9, 2015 at 15:24
  • $\begingroup$ It is yes. What I meant to say was : if your answer was the right one, it would be far fetched to specify that the man was alone in his flat :) $\endgroup$
    – Viper
    Jul 9, 2015 at 15:29
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The man has made a suicide pact with his lover over the phone. After saying his goodbye, he jumps out the window to his death, knowing that his lover must be doing the same wherever she is. But then his phone that he left in the window rings, and no one else has that number but her. Why did she call back and break their pact? The grief of betrayal overtook him and led to an immediate cardiac arrest.

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  • $\begingroup$ Like the idea but the story does says "after falling a few floors", so he isn't hearing his own phone $\endgroup$
    – Viper
    Jul 9, 2015 at 15:11
  • $\begingroup$ @Viper hearing aid. $\endgroup$
    – warspyking
    Jul 9, 2015 at 18:05
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He thought he was in a lucid dream and would like to feel how it is to commit suicide by jumping off a building. Only when he heard the phone rings that he realize he's not in a dream...

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He is Neo in the matrix. There are Smiths in the building and he has no other option but to jump out of the window (The agents must not be allowed to get hold of Neo). He hears a phone ring inside the building, but it's not his phone! Neo dies in the matrix from a heart attack. (But that's OK, he'll respawn soon)

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  • $\begingroup$ Don't you get it, @MarkN? If you die in the Matrix, you die in REAL LIFE! $\endgroup$
    – user88
    Jul 9, 2015 at 16:50
  • $\begingroup$ @JoeZ. But, he is the chosen one...The Oracle must have done a backup! $\endgroup$
    – Mark N
    Jul 9, 2015 at 16:55

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