Anyone who has tried to solve a Rubik's Cube knows the mix of feelings: curiosity at the start, despair when a finished face falls apart, and the huge joy of the last turn. Over the years I've collected quotes and drawings that tell it better than I can. Here are my favorites.
"The Cube is an imitation of life itself"
Let's start with the inventor himself. Erno Rubik has often talked about how the cube resembles life:
The Cube is an imitation of life itself - or even an improvement on life. The problems of puzzles are very near the problems of life, our whole life is solving puzzles. If you are hungry, you have to find something to eat. But everyday problems are very mixed - they're not clear. The Cube's problem depends just on you. You can solve it independently. But to find happiness in life, you're not independent. That's the only big difference.
I like it because it explains why the cube is so addictive: it's a hard problem, but a fair one. It all depends on you, there are no tricks and no luck, and if you follow the steps it always has a solution. If you want to know more about him, here's the story of Erno Rubik, the inventor of the cube.
Professor Rubik, five minutes later
This is so impossible! Christ, I feel so stupid and useless!
This cartoon by Wumo imagines Professor Rubik five minutes after inventing his cube. The best part is that it isn't far off: Rubik had to scramble it to realize how hard it was to put back in order, and it took him over a month to solve his own puzzle. If the inventor struggled, don't feel bad if you do too.
Don't worry, you'll solve it
Just because you haven't got it all figured out,
doesn't mean you never will.
Some day you may even look back,
and wonder why you were ever worried.
This comic by Pictures in Boxes is about life, but it works just as well for the cube. Almost everyone gets stuck at some point, especially in the last-layer steps. The good news is that you learn it in parts: first a cross, then a face, then a layer… If that's where you are, our step-by-step Rubik's Cube solution will guide you. And if you're stuck with a particular cube, the solver will tell you how to finish it.
A cube in love
And to finish, an illustration by Vainui de Castelbajac: a Rubik's Cube falls for a cubist portrait. It makes sense: cubism, the movement of Picasso and Braque, broke faces down into geometric shapes and flat colors. A Rubik's Cube couldn't have found anyone more like itself.
Do you know another Rubik's Cube quote or comic that should be here? And if you want to have some fun while you practice, try one of our Rubik's Cube patterns: they're the best way to show off with a cube.