# Should we teach non-cubers the way of the cube?



## Goso (Jan 28, 2012)

I was wondering whether cubers should teach non-cubers the solution to the cube :confused: By doing this someday everyone will eventually be able to solve the cube and solving it wouldn't be as "amazing" as it once was. Please tell me what do you think about this.


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## a small kitten (Jan 28, 2012)

There are so many things wrong with this...

In short, sure. Why not.


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## ZamHalen (Jan 28, 2012)

Not every non-cuber can be converted. Most people lack patience (I know I did).

But yes.....yes we should.


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## AndersB (Jan 28, 2012)

I think that everyone has the right to know, and I think most of us learned it from somebody else. Also, more cubers would just be fun. However I do not think that everyone has the patience and will to learn the cube, and therefore solving Rubik's cubes will always be inaccessible and cool.


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## Sillas (Jan 28, 2012)

Yes, if the people had patience. Why not?


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## cubingawsumness (Jan 28, 2012)

I mean, if they want to, like really want to, then why not?


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## Jokerman5656 (Jan 28, 2012)

no


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## jms_gears1 (Jan 28, 2012)

why is this even a question?

EDIT: ok maybe ill say a bit more than that >.>

So essentially what youre saying is, you dont think we should teach anymore people to cube. Suggesting we create this exclusive club of people with the knowledge, and no one else gets to know unless they figure everything out themselves. 

Lets assume for a second that this is the case. That for whatever reason we SHOULD indeed make the knowledge of how to solve the cube extremely exclusive. Why were you included in this club? Why not stop giving people one person before you? 

And now ill ask again, why is this even a question?

(also, good luck getting rid of alllllll of the info about how to solve a cube online)


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## Goso (Jan 28, 2012)

jms_gears1 said:


> why is this even a question?


Because many people have different opinions on this topic.


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## cubernya (Jan 28, 2012)

We should have nothing to do with it. If they want to know how to solve it, they can look it up.


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## JonnyWhoopes (Jan 28, 2012)

Goso said:


> Because many people have different opinions on this topic.


 
The question itself is self-defeating and pointless (ok that sounds harsh, but hear me out). The only way you could actually ask this question was if "cubers" were a group of people who had an innate knowledge of the cube and who bestow this knowledge on the poor individuals who must (God forbid) LEARN how to solve the cube. The problem is, anybody who can solve a cube couldn't solve one and some point. We all learned it. To ask whether or not to continue this makes no sense. It just makes you sound hipster, elitest, or both.


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## Tim Major (Jan 28, 2012)

Goso said:


> I'm not trying to discouraged anyone how to solve the cube. If they seem really interested and have lots of patience then they should. However, there's no denying that the more people know how to solve the cube, the less "cool" it appears because it is no longer unusual to find somebody who can solve it.


 
If you cube because it's "cool" then you shouldn't be cubing.


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## insane569 (Jan 28, 2012)

No let them learn alone. But afer they learn how to solve it you may help them get faster. Just so you don't teach someone and have them quit after 2 solves. Happened to me twice.


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## PandaBeaarAmy (Jan 29, 2012)

i thinks like we shouldnt go out of our way to teach a non cuber, if they really wanted to know how to solve the cube, they would search it up (like i did)


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## Escher (Jan 29, 2012)

The better the public understands the cube and sees it more like chess, the more the top players in our game/sport are appreciated. I think 'Gary Kasparov' and 'Bobby Fischer' are pretty much household names, at least amongst my parents generation, and this is the way it should be with cubing.

Most of the public see no difference between 20 seconds and 2 minutes, and no difference between 7 and 14 seconds, and I find that a huge shame.


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## HelpCube (Jan 29, 2012)

Goso said:


> Because many people have different opinions on this topic.


 
Really? You won't find many people here who think it shouldn't be shared. The whole point of this forum is to share information about cubing, so obviously most people on here will be in favor of sharing.


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## Jostle (Jan 29, 2012)

Goso said:


> I was wondering whether cubers should teach non-cubers the solution to the cube :confused: *By doing this someday everyone will eventually be able to solve the cube* and solving it wouldn't be as "amazing" as it once was. Please tell me what do you think about this.


 
That would be awesome...

This question is dumb.


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## Goso (Jan 29, 2012)

:fp I'm not trying to discouraged anyone how to solve the cube. If they seem really interested and have lots of patience then they should. However, there's no denying that the more people know how to solve the cube the less "cool" it appears because it is no longer unusual to find somebody who can solve it.


jms_gears1 said:


> why is this even a question?
> 
> EDIT: ok maybe ill say a bit more than that >.>
> 
> ...


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## Christopher Mowla (Jan 29, 2012)

Goso said:


> I was wondering whether cubers should teach non-cubers the solution to the cube :confused: By doing this someday everyone will eventually be able to solve the cube and solving it wouldn't be as "amazing" as it once was...


I think cubers (meaning anyone who can solve a cube, not just those who can speedsolve) all enjoy the attention they get from non-cubers when they solve a twisty puzzle right in front of their eyes. However, even if everyone learned how people solve these puzzles (which is never going to happen because of what others have said), if they get into speedsolving, blindsolving, theory, creating new methods, or fewest moves, that excitement won't go away. For those who would not be interested in pursuing speedsolving, fewest moves, etc., (which probably is the majority of the planet), they would at least gain more self-confidence (whether they admit it or not) because they now understand how humans can solve such a complex puzzle with a systematic process. The only "amazement" that will be gone is an incorrect perception of the impossibility of solving the cube.

So I don't see what the crisis would be. By starting this thread, it appears that you take pride in your ability to solve the cube (which is a good thing), but maybe you are afraid that you would become insignificant if "everyone" would be able to solve the puzzle that you can now proudly say others can't even fathom how you do it. If that is the case, then


Spoiler



Well, did you figure it out on your own, or did you use directions or a tutorial? If you didn't figure it out, then you are really taking pride in other people's work before you. Anyone can distinguish themselves from others by contributing new ideas to the world. If you really desire to use cubing as a way to distinguish yourself from others who know how to solve a cube, you should try to contribute something new to the cubing world that can differentiate you from everyone else. There are many different ways you can distinguish yourself from others in cubing because there are many things you can do with cubing.

The only problem is, the entire planet is not going to eventually going to learn how to solve the cube, and therefore, even if you do contribute something new to the cubing world and try to explain how you are different from other cubers to non-cubers, they still won't understand much of a difference (sort of what Escher was saying in the last sentence of his post).


 Whether that is the case or not, you don't have to worry about there being no one left to amaze with solving the cube, but maybe you should also search for other ways to impress people that more people can relate to.


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## Hershey (Jan 29, 2012)

Everyone can learn to play tennis. Not everyone will be interested in playing tennis and getting good at it though.


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## Cheese11 (Jan 29, 2012)

I no like big community.


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## Daryl (Jan 29, 2012)

why not ?

as long as the non-cubers want to learn to solve the cube.
Speedsolving is still be amazing I think.


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## tx789 (Jan 29, 2012)

Some people think they can do it


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## Inusagi (Jan 29, 2012)

If we don't want more people to join our community, how can speedcubing grow?


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## RNewms27 (Jan 29, 2012)

Why should a magician reveal his secrets?


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## Yuxuibbs (Jan 29, 2012)

I think we should teach non cubers how to solve if they want to but like any other "sport" not everyone can be fast at it. Anyone can learn but not everyone will have the patience or want to learn how to solve it. The cubing club I run has lots of people that want to learn and they still think it's amazing how I can sub 20. Some of them keep coming after they learn how to solve a 3x3 because they want to get faster. A lot of people know it's just a lot of steps and repetition, they won't be as jealous and won't make as many stupid comments if we teach the people that want to learn.



RNewms27 said:


> Why should a magician reveal his secrets?


 
People would know how to solve it but to them it's still amazing to see someone sub 20 or even sub 30.


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## insane569 (Jan 29, 2012)

RNewms27 said:


> Why should a magician reveal his secrets?


 
So true. Let them get into magic alone and IF they wish to get more advanced in magic them let them be an apprentice. Show them how to get faster at the cube but don't show them how to solve it because for all you know they just might solve it 2 times and then never solve it. There is a kid in my school who learned how to solve it and even got himself a Ghost Hand I. He asked me how to get faster and I said yea I would show you some more advanced methods. Why? Because he already knew notation and he already knew the basics. There would be no frustrating "F means turn the front side clockwise" and going through all the algs of a begginer method which I don't even remember.


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## The Bloody Talon (Jan 30, 2012)

if they are interested, why not?


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## AvGalen (Jan 30, 2012)

Nominated for troll thread of 2012 if not serious
Nominated for most misplaced question if serious


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## aaronb (Jan 30, 2012)

When I first read this, I thought he was saying we should devise a plan to teach the whole world how to cube. 

I personally never taught anyone how to cube, but I have taught a few people F2L. If someone really wanted to learn how, I would teach them.


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## Jostle (Jan 30, 2012)

RNewms27 said:


> Why should a magician reveal his secrets?


 
What is this, I don't even...

usrs?


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## maderito (Jan 30, 2012)

Learning the cube and teaching the cube are two different skills. If you can teach it and you have a willing learner, what could be more satisfying? In my limited experience, most are not really willing to learn it.


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## AvGalen (Jan 30, 2012)

Okay, in direct reply to the topictitle:
Would you say no to a hot non-cuber that asks you? Or a friend? Or a .....


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## cubeflip (Jan 30, 2012)

I agree with many people here. Many/Most people think they'd never be able to solve a cube. That's blatantly a false statement, but even if you convinced a person like that to learn how to solve it, as soon as they got stuck or had trouble understanding something, they would give up.

I think we should teach the people who are interested. There are a couple people at school who have seen me do it and want to learn. Now that may seem like an obvious statement, but I guess some cubers could take the question differently. Teaching people how to solve the cube is not like going house to house trying to spread a religion. We'll teach the people who are interested because those are the kinds of people who we want in the community.

So yes, I think we should teach non-cubers how to cube.


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## ThomasJE (Jan 30, 2012)

No.

People are almays amazed when they see the 5.66 WR. If they knew how to solve it then they wouldn't be that amazed. We shouldn't make people learn it; if they want to learn it, they put the effort in themselves. If they want us to help, and they are willing to learn, then we help them.


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## Yuxuibbs (Jan 30, 2012)

ThomasJE said:


> No.
> 
> People are almays amazed when they see the 5.66 WR. If they knew how to solve it then they wouldn't be that amazed. We shouldn't make people learn it; if they want to learn it, they put the effort in themselves. If they want us to help, and they are willing to learn, then we help them.


 
You weren't amazed when you saw the 5.66 WR? Just because you know how to solve it doesn't mean you aren't really amazed when you see a WR.


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## 4. (Jan 30, 2012)

no


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## Bapao (Jan 30, 2012)

This may sound very selfish, but I would prefer the cubing community to stay relatively small and exclusive.


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## Ickathu (Jan 30, 2012)

Yes. Not teaching them when they think it's cool is like not sharing some candy when you have a ginormous bag full of it. Maybe not the greatest analogy, but I say yes. Some people put effort in on their own, you just have to get them started. I had one friend who thought that it was just the coolest thing ever, but didn't have a cube. So for his birthday, I gave him a list of tutorials that were good (He chose Erik's method) and can now solve it, I think, maybe just first 2 layers though, but that's still a lot closer than most people can get.


Yuxuibbs said:


> You weren't amazed when you saw the 5.66 WR? Just because you know how to solve it doesn't mean you aren't really amazed when you see a WR.


Exactly. I think everyone (Mats, Anthony, Rowe and Erik included) was amazed when they saw it. I mean, it's a WR!

Bottom line: Yes, if they want to learn. If not, don't force it obviously.


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