Once again, I circle the blackened sky like a bat. I get myself so worked up in the morning and early afternoon that by evening I fall asleep only to wake up at midnight or so. It’s not so bad, I guess. It’s the not the rhythm of diurnal beings such as typical humans, but at least a late-night drive is filled with light scents of flowers and burnt wood.
Last night I was having a tonic and reading at Fricker’s. It’s just a sports bar, but it has a patio. That part I like very much. However, I happened to be visited by my friend, and master potter, Eliseo. We always have a good conversation, and I appreciate him being in such a simple area.
We talked about many things, mostly art related, but last night’s discussion dabbled in Kokology. This is the study of 心, or in English terms kokoro (“mind” or “spirit”). Its a way of discussing a person’s personality, and how they see the world. This was done in a basic three-part question and answer session called “the Cube test.” The narrator asks the following questions and interprets an understanding of the person answering them:
1. You are alone in a desert. There is a cube near you. What does it look like?
2. There is also a ladder around. What does it look like?
3. There is also a horse around. What does it look like?
Instead of giving away the answers (mine or what the metaphors mean) I’d like to try something. If you would indulge me, please write down the answer to these questions in the comments section of this entry. I’ll put trust in you to not look anything up on the Internet, rather tell me the images that come to your mind first.
Corvidae in the Fields 
Rubiks; Step; Bay Mare, 18 hands, dark mane & tail, attitude
OK, I’ll give my two cents on what it seems to say to me. This is also for self-examination, and you may have a better idea of why you made a specific selection than I do.
The cube is how you see yourself. Rubik’s, in and of itself, is a game. You seem to be a sort of puzzle in social situation. With that in mind, you’re rewarding to the people who take the time to figure you out or “solve” you. The standard Rubik’s is small, portable, reasonably durable. The size is consideration of ego. You don’t have a huge ego, and you travel well. You’re durability is that of personality. You’re not easily influenced by the ideas of others.
The step ladder is a little less descriptive, but I’ll give it go. The ladder represents your view on friends. Step ladders aren’t very tall, typically 6′ or smaller, five rungs or less on an a-frame. You may not have a wide network of friends, but they’re sturdy. The ones you do have will support you if you need it.
The mare is a metaphor of your ideal partner. From my rudimentary research, 18 hands (also learned how much a “hand” is) is the heavy use/draft horse category. Do you prefer taller women? Dark hair with a temper, possibly?
Again, this is all me interpreting your answers. Maybe there’s something else which is a better fit?
Remarkable. I shall in turn make comment due to the fairly un-considered nature of my answers. The cube choice was purely word association and yet your 2 cents is accurate in every sense.
Similarly, the first ladder that came to mind was the type we use at work, a purely random image association and yet, again, accurate.
The horse is only slightly different in that I rode with an ex-racehorse that looked like this, so not axdraught horse but an unusually tall racer (eg Phar Lap), I am tall with a penchant for shorter women, Darl hair, maybe not seeking out a temper but perhaps that comes with scarring will and self-confidence.
I am surprised at the accuracy of such a test. Very interesting.
First off, tonight is $5 steak night, so you should go fuel up on testosterone (I just got an email saying non-poultry meat increases testosterone…).
The cube is a McMansion with air-conditioning because deserts are hot. A ladder “around”? Just lying around? It must be one of those extension ladders we use to get up to the second story. The silver metal kind.
If there is a horse, I am not alone. I hope it’s Warhorse, so I can yell that, like in the movie trailers. “Warhorse! Take me to my McMansion!”
I don’t feel like having steak tonight. I’ve got leftovers in the refrigerator. Bratwurst and macaroni salad is more appealing to me than steak.
Keep in mind this is how I am reading your answer. This is also very much for self-examination. You have the most experience with yourself and may know a better answer.
In the test, the cube represents how you see yourself. The size of which indicates ego (yes, I’m giggling). Considering the nature of the cube, you’re attracted to the physical world. You like having possessions to which you can store in your McMansion, and your McMansion itself is a symbol of wealth. A/C is comfort. You’re not really into “roughing it.” Also, the accessible nature of the cube means that you’re open to visitors. Certainly, the doors on a McMansion can be locked and the alarm set, but it’s meant to be accessed by people. The last part would be mobility. A house is anchored where it is. You really don’t want to be moved anywhere.
The verbiage is intentionally vague. It’s to analyse where you place it. Where’s the ladder, kerbey?
The horse is your ideal partner. A warhorse, while an accessory of violence, probably means more aggression than anything. You like a masculine (re:aggressive) partner, one that’s obedient. I’d wager to say you like to be the one in control. You probably have a “honey, do” list which is more of a “do it now” agenda.
You considering the horse company might mean something, too. Alone in this sense meant as no other humans are around, which is generally accepted, and you “created” company. I would take that a number of ways, the first being that you like having company and prefer not to be alone. The second is that you may “humanize” other animals or pets. Do you dress your pets at all? Consider them children like some do? The last part would be you’re often critical of people. You line up what’s presented, and if it doesn’t jive with your experience and beliefs, you make exception to the presentation. I’ll consider that neither positive nor negative. Rather, you’re more vocal about conflicting information.
Dang, I wrote a long response and it disappeared. !! So I’ll just say yes, this is all correct, except I enjoy being left alone all day (except for my virtual WordPress friends). And no, animals stay outdoors where they belong, not where the people go. Not on my carpet. But all the rest is right on. Esp the do it now agenda. I want the warhorse to ride around. What else am I gonna do?
And the ladder? Anything else you can add to that?
Well, it sure wouldn’t be me climbing it. I have zero ambition, and like you said, no desire to be mobile. I never think about ladders. Last time I got on one was to climb up to our roof during the fires surrounding our subdivision, to see the flames rising up. Ladders to me symbolize danger. You can always fall. And with no doctor around to heal me, you think Warhorse can help?
The ladder is how you view your friends. You mentioned positioning and I was wondering where it was located. If it’s leaning on the house, then you support your friends. If it’s leaning on something else, that’s their support.
The extension ladder is a larger ladder with several rungs. Do you have a good-sized network of friends? Shiny metal seems suggest they are vibrant individuals, but they may come and go as a ladder would extend and contract.
Hmmm. Yeah, it was propped against the side of the house, at roof level. We don’t hang out with a lot of friends, mostly church friends we see on Sundays or special events. But I stay in contact with them on facebook daily, so it is constant communication. I wonder if someone would chop his ladder up to make a hut?
The cube I see resembles a Rubik’s cube, but it has different numbers of colored squares on each side, so perhaps it’s some sort of generic knockoff. The colors are very worn, as if someone has spent a lot of time trying to solve it and handled it a lot.
The ladder is a regular wooden ladder, also very worn. The wood is a faded gray-white color, and the metal hardware that holds it together is rusted. The rust adds an orange color to the joints.
The horse is brown and white (I believe what you call a Pinto). He’s very skinny, as if he has been fending for himself for a long time. His ribs are very visible and his legs are long and thin with knobby knees and disproportionately big hooves. He has a friendly face and very warm black eyes.
I’m very curious to find out what this says about me. 🙂
Again with the Rubik’s, but a more specific “Rubik’s” cube, one that doesn’t have all the pieces to it. You consider yourself somewhat of an enigma, but maybe not one that’s completely solvable? By the wear and tear, maybe several people have tried but with no luck. It’s not very big. You don’t have a giant ego, and you travel with little problem.
Your friendships are from some time ago. It would suggest that maybe they’ve fallen into disrepair? The wood is faded, and the metal is rusted. It sounds like you think they might not be strong enough to use or rely on.
I can’t come up with much on the choice of breed. Pintos were favored by American natives for their camouflage. Maybe that’s a hat tip to men who are adaptable to their surroundings? It sounds like you’re looking for a warm man that needs to be taken care of. He’s not going to die without you, but he isn’t exactly completely healthy either. There seems like a desire to care for the creature with the way you describe his malnutrition.
Everything in your picture is aged, timeworn, which may mean you haven’t added new blood to the picture in a while. Old memories, old friendships, weak relationships. You might be in need of some action. Again, it’s all interpretation of the narrator. There maybe be a better explanation you have inside yourself.
That sounds like me indeed. The classic ISFJ!
However, as far as everything being aged and worn is concerned, I think the desert setting has much to do with it. Were I alone in the middle of a redwood forest, I might have seen a straight out of the box Rubik’s cube, a shiny new ladder, and a fat horse. (What is the importance of the desert to this test, I wonder?)
The desert is a metaphor for the world. Generally speaking, it’s a harsh environment and the desert is fairly desolate as to provide a focus on the individual.
This sounds like an awesome friend and one I’d like to have. Let me think of my answers and get back to you
He’s an amazing soul. I’m glad to have met him.
Cube is transparent and shiny. Ladder is pained a bright, but distressed red. It’s made from wood and the vertical rails are rounded at the top, as if made by an artisan more for show than use. The horse is light brown with darker brown mane. Go!
How big is the cube? If you’ve already read my other analyses, be honest. 😉
Smallish. Less than a foot cubed
OK, so you have a transparent, shiny, cube that’s about 1 ft.^3. As the cube is transparent, so are you. You share a lot with other people, and don’t hide much if anything. People know you for who you are. The sheen indicates the ability to grab people’s attention. You like standing out, and getting people to notice you. The size is ego, which 1 ft.^3 seems modest (to me). You’re not completely without an ego, but you’re not full of yourself either.
It would seem to me that this is a portable cube, yes? That you’re fine with relocation/travel? It would seem such, being you moved to Israel but my question would be how hard would it be to convince you to move if a demonstrably better opportunity came along? It seems like a durable substance. You have your opinions fairly well set, and don’t bend with public opinion often.
The ladder is interesting. This is said about the color “red” in people who use this test:
“Red is the color of dominance, power, love and sexual energy. If your cube is red it also can mean that you are an attention seeker.”
I would say the idea of shiny and red go hand-in-hand. Your friends like to be noticed, too. That would lead me to believe that’s why the paint is distressed. At times, you might find yourself clashing or competing with your friends which causes stress. These friends are more from the arts community: painters, writers, sculptors, etc. They are more creative types, which doesn’t always translate into function. Am I warm?
The horse is what you consider in your ideal partner. Here’s what is said about brown:
“Brown shows stability. Brown is the most common cube color among men.”
You desire stability in a partner, probably in all aspects: financially, mild-manneredness, well-known and respected in the community. A family man of sorts.
As I’ve told the others, this is mostly from my point of view. If there’s some self-reflected answer that makes more sense, then by all means consider it.
Sooooooo interesting, thank you!
You’re very welcome. 🙂
So, let’s assume you haven’t known me for 20-odd years and treat this like a shot in the dark… (I considered briefly making a new anonymous email address, but in the end, couldn’t be arsed)
Lexan cube, with beveled edges, about 3/4″ thick. Robot horse. Definitely micro-fusion powered robot horse. Dark gunmetal chrome.
EDIT: Something happened to my ladder, but I chose a sturdy, sensible aluminum 12′ ladder. New.
That’s fine. I couldn’t be arsed in forgetting I’ve known you for about 20 years. lol
Lexan cube, eh? Fancy pants, but the key is in its application. It can, and has been, used as a computer case. So, you like science and technology in an digital/electronic sense. Computers. It’s clear. So, you’re not too reserved about discussing yourself (which you’re not, rather a person may not have gotten around to asking the right question yet).
The ladder: new, sensible, 12 foot. I would think this refers to your new network out west. They sound like fairly traditional, down to Earth people from what you’ve told me. You’ve got a decent amount out there. It’s not exclusive by any means.
Robot horse? Well, I’d imagine that suggest you’d do well with a woman in the science/IT/computer repair field. It’s also a little fanciful. She’d probably need to be more into the fantasy genre.
1. You are alone in a desert. There is a cube near you. What does it look like?
It’s a cubic meter block of ice. I lay my face on it and lap up the melting water like a dog
2. There is also a ladder around. What does it look like?
It’s one of those new fangled silver indestructible step ladders they advertise on infomercials. I climb to the top rung, balance myself precariously on the little shelf where you should keep the can of paint and jump up. I have no idea why
3. There is also a horse around. What does it look like?
It’s the desert so it’s an Arabian. All black. Like the one the bit off my uncle’s left arm biceps. He then punched it with a right cross, just like Mongo in Blazing Saddles. There was no PETA when and where I grew up
While the block of ice is on the larger side, it’s meant for something else. Your ego is a little larger, but you’re fairly upfront with people. You’re open to strangers, etc. You’re not withholding your personality with anyone. What it’s also doing is providing water, helping. You like helping others when they’re in a bad spot.
You like unique people, and consider your friends to be such. They stand out, and have distinct personalities. In turn, you like doing adventurous things with them. Maybe they’re good support in thrill seeking?
I don’t think the Arabian horse matters as much as “it fits.” Black is also significant, too.
“Black is the color of authority, elegance, sophistication. It can also mean the dark side of the personality.”
I’d say you like a woman of elegance and sophistication that does well in her element.
[…] Thanks to Corvidae in the Fields for inspiring this post with his recent one on the “Cube test.“ […]
[…] a continuation from Wednesday’s post, I shall post the description I gave my friend Monday […]
Hmmm, the cube is a wooden box, cedar, golden red and still smelling fresh and lovely. The lid is inlaid with abalone and turquoise and coral. The sides are lightly carved with runes and flowers and animals. The lid is slightly askew…there is a light inside.
The ladder is also wood and standing with no support, disappearing into the cloudless sky thousands of feet above.
The Horse is a Friesian, with a black and silver saddle, with white roses woven through her mane and tail.
This one took me a while to think about, Laura.
Let’s examine the box first. It’s not just wood; it’s cedar. It’s not only cedar, it has fresh scents with abalone, turquoise, and coral. You’re very much a nature person. Woods and sea in particular. I’ve often thought turquoise would be a good way to describe the ocean at times. Also turquoise seems to have spirituality to it, more of a Native American spirituality. I had a metal ring with a turquoise arrowhead in it, once. I won it at a grade school carnival. It was only one of two rings I’ve ever worn in earnest. This is aside from the animal/flower/rune carvings on the side of the box, which only reinforce my thoughts.
The lid is ajar, slightly. You tease people with the energy and life you hold inside you. You tempt people with your personality, and entice them to go further and open the box.
The ladder is wood, which only seems to suggest that your friends are fairly sturdy, but it’s also straight up and down. They’re very independent people, and numerous. Some of your friends you’d consider almost visionary, as you climb to meet them high above everything.
Friesians… black, very elegant… you like your partners with some serious sophistication about them. You want them to be seductive, yet you like being in control. The silver might mean having some means of wealth. I’d imagine to travel or adventure as much as you like. The white roses are decoration. I’d say that this is merely for show, as you want them having the appearance of purity or innocence. There’s something else I’d like to ask, but I don’t think it’s any of my business.
Regardless, there’s how I read your description. Only you will know if I’m right or mistaken. It’s also up to you to reflect on your answers you have given me.