In a way, reflecting on the dreams I recently had led me to a realization. Not something new, but more like a confirmation, a reminder, and also something that the show conveys. I keep pointing out the richness of guiding wisdom in MLP, and in a minute I will give another example.

When I was still playing World of Warcraft, there were people who were willing to help me, to lend a hand with things I couldn't do alone. People who I considered game buddies.

One day, they, plus some other players, overall a small group, were fighting a raid boss in old content that gave them a hard time; they failed multiple times from what I've got.

They asked me to help by reinforcing the group.

I somewhat remembered what was so special about that boss, had done him before, so to the best of my abilities I explained to them that knowing the fight tactics for this one was crucial for success. If you don't know what is going on, you will fail, but if you read up on the tactics, it's easy. I explained that and, because I was kinda busy at the time and didn't remember the exact tactics myself, didn't join the group.

They read up on the tactics and succeeded right away.

People are different, have different skills, and MLP demonstrates very much a working relationship of friends of very different couleur; how it can be used as a strength.

I knew what I was doing; I knew my strengths. I helped my buddies to the best of my abilities. Reinforcing the team, while we don't know the tactics, would only have furthered the frustration.

In S2E21 Dragon Quest, Rainbow Dash told Fluttershy that since she accompanied her to watch that boring butterfly migration, now was her turn to accompany her to watch the scary-as-hell dragon migration. And Dashie was given clear feedback by Fluttershy that friendship isn't always a synchronous thing; that one should respect differences.

While it might have been kinda boring for Dashie, I'm sure it was Fluttershy's charm and kindness that warmed her up to the idea, and loyalty is Dashie's strength.

Dashie's reasoning though was pressuring Fluttershy into it based on synchronous reciprocity. And obviously she overdid it - OUCH.

They were right when they did everything to bring her to the mountain in S1E7 Dragonshy, because they were aware of her skills in animal communication, and THAT strength of hers was the driving force back then. In Dragon Quest, it was merely a cheap trick. Dashie tried to impose his own qualities onto her friend, instead of nourishing Fluttershy's qualities.

To sum this up... As I mentioned before, there might be way more to take from the show than what you are currently aware of. Keep using MLP as a guide for your life. It will bring people in general and specifically bronies closer together in mutual understanding.

I myself will have to cultivate awareness of this latest realization, too, and that is part of why I'm writing this down.