# Does this barber shave himself? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 17, 2012, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-barber-shave-himself/635014 "2012-09-17T22:09:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2012, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-barber-shave-himself/635014/21 "2012-09-20T03:32:06Z")
> [@Che\_G.Anonymous\_Capitalist](#): > > If a barber shaves all and only those who do not shave themselves, does the barber shave himself? Yes, but he uses Occam’s Razor. ---
**Author:** ![core\_dump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dec6dc/32.png) [@core\_dump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/core_dump)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2012, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-barber-shave-himself/635014/22 "2012-09-20T16:56:23Z")
“Shaves all” can mean… shaves everywhere, as in naughty bits, etc. rather than ‘shaves everyone’. He does not shave himself because he doesn’t shave those who shave themselves. Whether he is even shaven or not is not relevant – either he goes unshaven or has his slave do it for him. I don’t see the paradox. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2012, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-barber-shave-himself/635014/23 "2012-09-24T13:47:48Z")
Making the barber a woman doesn’t resolve the situation. She still either shaves or doesn’t shave herself. This barber, as described, has to shave women and children and those without body hair–anyone who doesn’t shave themselves. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-barber-shave-himself/635014.md?page=1)