Are the Elements of Harmony brainwashing ponies?

[Fractured 2,684]

Is the friendship cannon really magical mind control?

Sunset Shimmer's and Princess Luna's quick and rather unsatisfying reformations bring up an interesting question about the Elements: what if it purges all negative emotions from your body, effectively forcing you to be a good person? If that was the case, would a person hit by the Elements be the same person, or would they be someone or something else? If it is mind control, what are the moral implications of using it? Discuss!

[Banul 3,831]

If the elements brainwashed characters to be good automatically, then Discord should have picked up on friendship right off the bat. Since he has struggled with it, I conclude that this is not the case.

 

I think we can chalk up any "unsatisfying reformations" to the limitations of a children's cartoon about friendship and time constraints.

[Hive King 2,001]

Sunset Shimmer had two choices

 

Beg for mercy

Or go to jail

 

Even if she wasn't sincere, she has to swallow her pride in that situation. As for NMM, they basically stripped away all the dark magic in Luna. Whether or not Luna was willing to accept the light is up to her, she did

[paradoxical 1,735]

Good point.  They may be mostly a device for removing "dark magic" and if that is an inherant part of the being they work accordingly.

 

Even if they did change the person.  Some level of the original is alive and it beats being put in stone or sent to Tartarus forever.

 

[Pinkamena-Pills 6,840]

It purges the disharmony within,simple as that.

 

However in Discords case sense he's chaos by nature it just turned his ass to stone because reasons. 

[KokuraiNoSenshi 3,465]

You are worried about the ELEMENTS!? Did you all just forget about the bloody Want It Need It spell from Lesson Zero? Like, seriously, you don't need the elements for mind control 

 

Anyways... I don't think it is so much "mind control" as "I really don't want to be lazered again" for Sunset Shimmer, & for Luna I always felt that it was the whole "good vs evil" half that probably everyone in the world has gone through at one point, & the Elemnts just let the good side win out

[paradoxical 1,735]

It purges the disharmony within,simple as that.

 

However in Discords case sense he's chaos by nature it just turned his ass to stone because reasons. 

And Tirek?  He's not ('sfar's I know) chaos by nature.

[Silver Letter 1,832]

 

 

If the elements brainwashed characters to be good automatically, then Discord should have picked up on friendship right off the bat.

Well, discord is the spirit of disharmony and was immune to the power of the elements except that he could be sealed away. I think the major power of the elements was to remove dark power such as nightmare. It is not likely to be a brainwashing device.

[Pinkamena-Pills 6,840]

And Tirek?  He's not ('sfar's I know) chaos by nature.

Same reason as Discord: Because reasons. Or more specifically: Because reasons beyond what the plot cares to tell us about the EoH that may or may not reveal that they are just advanced brainwashing spells.

Edited July 17, 2014 by Pinkamena-Pills

[RainbowMau 292]

I don't think so, I see them more like something that makes their hearts more pure.

It's similar to the Phoenix in Monster Rancher that turns evil monsters into good ones.

[Hive King 2,001]

And Tirek?  He's not ('sfar's I know) chaos by nature.

Tirek didn't get hit by the Elements, it was Friendship Power

[Invincible 2,092]

A fair question. But i like to believe the characters you mentioned were intrinsically good - and the elements were used to inspire and arouse their inner goodness. I don't think the elements interfere with their personality, rather than with superficial forces that weigh on them.

[Princess Lona 382]

Comic canon shows that Luna had been overtaken by nightmare magic which amplified her greatest fears in order to control her. So at least in Luna's case the elements didn't brainwash her. If anything, they freed her from mind control.

[flutterdango117 154]

hmm i dont really think so i mean (yes im using a homestuck derm) godtier is based on the original personality of the individual such as  john's bravery, kindness and willingness to fallow elders nature made him the godtier heir of breaht by the way he can help others guide them to the right direction like the breath aspect is said to have. the elements of harmony i think, act the same way. there not really forced upon, there really just comes to be a part of them more then anything when they were born. like, i admit only watched 2 episodes but i think by lunas sister stripping powers to see her light was more of something she once had and really forgotten about. maybe an aspect of herself she really want to display much and such like karkat with the blood aspect to bring people together by thinking hes a failure at leadership. (he did  mess up but he was a good leader overall. just didnt make the right moves.) but this is just me a beginner pegasister view mixed with homestuck knowledge :/