The dangers of Cutie Marks

[Buck Testa 5,503]

I don't think it's that society expected the ponies to go with their cutie marks. I think society ALLOWED them to go with it. I realize that these ponies are probably well known in ponyville or at least have many friends there (mostly Pinkie Pie) but some of the cutie marks blend in to the coats of the ponies (particularly Fluttershy with Pinkie's cutie mark). I can only say that either the ponies didn't notice that the cutie marks changed or didn't care (which is very unlikely). They may have noticed that the cutie marks changed but if so, I'm not sure why ponies weren't freaking out. In their eyes (since they didn't know Twilight did the spell) the pony either has cutie pox or is a witch, both of which would warrant some action on the bystanders' part but I don't think their thought process was "Oh, her cutie mark changed. This happens all the time and even though she doesn't seem totally comfortable with her job, it must be okay because her butt says so." These are pretty sensible ponies so I just don't think they noticed.

 

Their thought process wasn't that

 

They were going about their day as if This is how its always been. Its heavily implied in that episode that the ponies had false memories, and this included the bystanders who knew them. They went along with it because they were just going about their daily life with modified memories. It wasn't until the spell was undone that they remembered the truth, and this goes for the mane six as well.

 

 

When Twilight read the broken spell, that magic channeled through her element to all the others fundimentally altering which element represented what. For example, the element of kindness became the element of laughter.  when this happened, the ponies most directly connected to the elements were effected as well.  For example, AJ's element suddenly represented not honesty, but genorosity, so she was given false memories of her being genorous.  The same goes for the rest of the mane six (excluding Twilight of course).  Considering that the EoH are more or less the driving force of nature in Equestria, I think everypony else may have had thier memories altered as well, (although to a lesser extent).  When the mane six's memories changed as a result of thier elements changing, their cutie marks changed to reflect that.  In other words, a cutie mark is the result of a ponies percieved ideas of their natural talents, not the other way around

 

 

Are you sure this idea lines up with what happens in the episode? For example does the element of Generosity REALLY have to do with sowing dresses? Or the element of loyalty being linked to controlling the weather? Or the element of honesty equals working on a farm? 

If the cutie marks are unimportant, then why did they all have theirs activate at the same time and were positioned for exactly that to happen?

Why does magic that affect cutie marks do exactly what I theorize if they do not have influence on the pony?

Why have equal sign cutie marks if cutie marks do nothing but reflect what a pony thinks of itself? Further, why don't cutie marks change all the time if it merely reflects what the pony thinks its good at? 

 

Is it so strange to think that Cutie Marks may have such an influence? 

[Sunny Fox 5,935]

I don't think cutie marks work that way, because a cutie mark only appears AFTER a pony has found their calling in life. Cheerilee mentions that she first made the decision to become a teacher, and then after that, her cutie mark appeared. Your theory would pretty much predict the opposite. The mark would appear and then the pony would start acting in accordance with it.

 

Also, there appears to be a certain amount of leeway in exactly what a cutie mark means. Rarity's mark is three gems, and while she does use a lot of gems and has a talent to finding them, she makes dresses for a living. A cutie mark of three gems might also fit a pony who is a jeweler or a full time gem miner.

 

Also, where is the indication that a cutie mark "amplifies the individuals ability"? Rainbow Dash didn't get faster when she got hers, Twilight didn't more magical when hers appeared, etc. Twist could already make candy canes, but she didn't get her cutie mark until she realized that was her special talent. Did the candy canes get more delicious after that? I doubt it.

[#1FluttershyFan 206]

Their thought process wasn't that

 

They were going about their day as if This is how its always been. Its heavily implied in that episode that the ponies had false memories, and this included the bystanders who knew them. They went along with it because they were just going about their daily life with modified memories. It wasn't until the spell was undone that they remembered the truth, and this goes for the mane six as well.

If you'll see my original post, I mentioned that the spell might have affected the entire town but focused on just the main 6 in future posts. If all the ponies see the new cutie marks as how it's always been, then that's like expecting a baker to bake bread. It's their job so people accept them fulfilling it. The ponies probably had false memories of the mane 6 doing things related to their cutie mark and that's just their norm. If society's memory wasn't changed and people just accepted that cutie marks changed and even though the pony doesn't like her job, the cutie mark knows best, then that would be saying that cutie marks hold power that could be dangerous but I don't think ponies are such slaves to their cutie marks like that. The ponies in ponyville aren't stupid and wouldn't blindly follow something like that. The children at the school might which is why the CMC are just trying random things, hoping one works but I don't think the cutie mark controls the pony. I really like the theory, though. It's fun to think about.

 

I also really like the post Sunny Fox made. See the post one above me.

Edited January 25, 2015 by #1FluttershyFan

[Rene 41]

Interesting.... I now have a new head canon theory to tell my sister.

[xlwpos 12]

Cutie Marks = Brands

 

The equivalency is pretty obvious to me. So rather than being owned by a human master their talent(s) do. 

 

It's actually quite socialistic/communistic at its core as pony talents tend to serve a function that betters the larger pony society. Think "hats" or uniforms for humans, but here its a tattoo that is not coming off ever.

 

Equestria looks pretty Smurfy to me. Much has been written about Smurfs being the ideal socialist society and Equestria does not seem far behind. Yes, there have been nods to royalty and aristocracy in the history of MLP but it is village nostalgia all day.

 

No clothes (ok few clothes) -  currency/money (they have it) = Lite Hippies. There you have it. Ponies are sane hippies as opposed to the John Lennon variety. 

[Buck Testa 5,503]

I don't think cutie marks work that way, because a cutie mark only appears AFTER a pony has found their calling in life. Cheerilee mentions that she first made the decision to become a teacher, and then after that, her cutie mark appeared. Your theory would pretty much predict the opposite. The mark would appear and then the pony would start acting in accordance with it.

 

No I account for the cutie mark not being visible in some of the initial posts actually. The theory has it that the cutie mark is there prior to being visible and nudges them in the direction it feels the pony would be happiest, sometimes more actively like in Rarity's case. The cutie mark is there, but what form it takes depends on what it feels would fit the pony best. This is for passive normal cutie marks anyway. Active and coercive cutie marks force the pony in a specific direction whether they like it or not either because they are malfunctioning (like with a spell or illness like cutie pox) or if they are malevolent like the way I think the Equal sign cutie marks are.    

 

Also, there appears to be a certain amount of leeway in exactly what a cutie mark means. Rarity's mark is three gems, and while she does use a lot of gems and has a talent to finding them, she makes dresses for a living. A cutie mark of three gems might also fit a pony who is a jeweler or a full time gem miner.

 

I do not disagree on this point, it would take a form that would be meaningful for the pony that has it. 

 

Also, where is the indication that a cutie mark "amplifies the individuals ability"? Rainbow Dash didn't get faster when she got hers, Twilight didn't more magical when hers appeared, etc. Twist could already make candy canes, but she didn't get her cutie mark until she realized that was her special talent. Did the candy canes get more delicious after that? I doubt it.

 

Do you recall the cutie pox, the active version of cutie marks, notice how Apple bloom was able to pull off things that she normally wouldn't be able to accomplish? Then there is the preview for season five, where it is briefly shown that Rainbow Dash has a equal sign cutie mark, and her speed seemed to be greatly reduced. The cutie marks act in a similar way that wands do in Harry potter; The magic is in the pony, but the cutie mark directs it in specific ways depending on the pony. Wings and horns work in a similar way, although they are conduits and ways of releasing the magic as suppose to internally directing them to specific skills and abilities like cutie marks. 

Also Twilight was barely able to access her magic prior to her test, but when her cutie mark "appeared" it was released in amazing amounts, and she has had an incredibly strong affinity for learning how to use magic ever since. When Rainbow's was forming she was able to pull of her first Sonic Rainboom. They are not merely marks on their rear, there is a lot more too it than that else they wouldn't have so many episodes focusing on them or referencing them. 

 

Cutie Marks = Brands

 

The equivalency is pretty obvious to me. So rather than being owned by a human master their talent(s) do. 

 

It's actually quite socialistic/communistic at its core as pony talents tend to serve a function that betters the larger pony society. Think "hats" or uniforms for humans, but here its a tattoo that is not coming off ever.

 

I agree 

Edited January 26, 2015 by Buck Testa

[Sunny Fox 5,935]

snip

No actually I account for the cutie mark not being visible in some of the initial posts actually. The theory has it that the cutie mark is there prior to being visible and nudges them in the direction it feels the pony would be happiest, sometimes more actively like in Rarity's case. The cutie mark is there, but what form it takes depends on what it feels would fit the pony best. This is for passive normal cutie marks anyway. Active and coercive cutie marks force the pony in a specific direction whether they like it or not either because they are malfunctioning (like with a spell or illness like cutie pox) or if they are malevolent like the way I think the Equal sign cutie marks are. 

 

Sorry, I didn't read the thread as thoroughly as I should have. So the invisible cutie mark has a mind of its own, nudges the pony until the pony realizes the thing that makes them special and then it appears. Why do the marks need to hide before that point? They would get to where they're going much quicker if they were visible from the beginning. The parents could certainly spend some time trying to decipher the mark, and it would probably end up with the pony finding their special talent earlier. Not to mention creating a booming business in cutie mark soothsaying. And if their goal is happiness for the pony, staying hidden and making little ponies sad about not having a visible mark yet is kind of counter productive. Also, Twist is somewhat of a counterexample. If a cutie mark's goal is to get them to find their special thing, then the first time she made sweets and they came out swell, her cutie mark should have jumped at the chance to make her aware of it. Instead she has to realize it herself. Your theory would need to account for all this.

 

It was Rarity's horn that led her to the rock, not her cutie mark. So that's better evidence of horns having minds of their own than for cutie marks.

 

Do you recall the cutie pox, the active version of cutie marks, notice how Apple bloom was able to pull off things that she normally wouldn't be able to accomplish. Then there is the preview for season five, where it is briefly shown that Rainbow Dash has a equal sign cutie mark, and her speed seemed to be greatly reduced. 

 

I do, but that's not very convincing evidence. I wouldn't advise using the cutie pox as an example, since it's a disease that is shown to act in ways contrary to usual cutie marks (such as the fact that each pony has only one - Cheerilee admits she's never heard of a pony with 2 of them). Just because the cutie pox works that way, doesn't mean cutie marks in general do. 

 

If the cutie pox marks are the same as normal cutie marks except for the strength of their effect, then by your theory, they were always there but invisible. How do you account for the sheer number of them? Were they all hiding on Apple Bloom her entire life, waiting for her to get the cutie pox? If they were only created when AB got the pox, then they are even more different to normal cutie marks, which further makes them bad examples to generalize from.

 

You could also use that episode to conclude that cutie marks let ponies create things out of nothing (like Inspiration Manifestation, funnily enough) because some of the things AB "needs" to perform her talents appear out of nowhere, and vanish again after e.g. the lions, the fencing pony, etc. 

 

As for scenes from Season 5, I'm trying to avoid learning anything about it until it airs. For that reason, I'm not going to watch the trailer you posted yet. It might help support your theory, from the sounds of it. A lot depends on exactly how they present it. For instance, even if Dash was slowed down by the Equal cutie mark (since cutie marks denote what's special about a pony, making every pony "equal" would certainly be thematically fitting) it might not be made clear if it was due to losing her own cutie mark, or an effect of the Equal cutie mark itself.

 

The cutie marks act in a similar way that wands do in Harry potter; The magic is in the pony, but the cutie mark directs it in specific ways depending on the pony. Wings and horns work in a similar way, although they are conduits and ways of releasing the magic as opposed to internally directing them to specific skills and abilities like cutie marks. 

 

A very apt analogy, certainly true for horns, since we can see the magic being channeled. Cutie marks and the abilities of pegasus ponies are definitely magical in nature, as well. I don't object to the magical nature of cutie marks. It's the concept of cutie marks being in some way sentient (or quasi-sentient) and able to essentially drug the pony they're on that I find difficult to accept. 

 

Also Twilight was barely able to access her magic prior to her test, but when her cutie mark "appeared" it was released in amazing amounts, and she has had an incredibly strong affinity for learning how to use magic ever since. When Rainbow's was forming she was able to pull of her first Sonic Rainboom. 

 

You're putting the cart before the horse again. RD's cutie mark is shown to appear not only after she had already done the sonic rainboom, but also after she had already won the race. And she didn't get the mark until she thought to herself, "I [make] the impossible happen." Again, the trigger was realizing something special about herself.

In Twilight's case, the boom from the rainboom is what startled her into releasing her inherent magic, not her cutie mark appearing. The mark only appeared after Celestia made Twi her protege, so her magic burst actually had little direct effect on her getting her cutie mark. Realizing she was now the student of the Princess was the special event that revealed her mark.

She has an incredible strong affinity for learning how to use magic most likely because she studied for years under Princess Celestia, and not because her cutie mark somehow granted her the ability. We don't see what she is capable of directly after that event, only years later when the show itself takes place, so that isn't valid evidence either.

 

So I still disagree with your conclusion that cutie marks "ramp up" the ability they represent.

 

They are not merely marks on their rear, there is a lot more too it than that else they wouldn't have so many episodes focusing on them or referencing them. 

 

They're certainly magical. But it's a long leap from there to assuming they are somehow guiding the ponies actions through what amounts to operand conditioning, rather than just being a sign that the pony has found their calling, or a reflection of their destiny. Your idea kind of makes it sound like cutie marks are some kind of parasite with their own agenda, even if it's largely a benign one. It doesn't seem like a necessary conclusion given what we've seen.

 

Can I entirely disprove your theory? Probably not. But that doesn't make it plausible, given all the questions it raises. Destiny may be guiding the ponies, but I don't think behaviour-modifying cutie marks are the way it goes about it.

[Buck Testa 5,503]

 

No actually I account for the cutie mark not being visible in some of the initial posts actually. The theory has it that the cutie mark is there prior to being visible and nudges them in the direction it feels the pony would be happiest, sometimes more actively like in Rarity's case. The cutie mark is there, but what form it takes depends on what it feels would fit the pony best. This is for passive normal cutie marks anyway. Active and coercive cutie marks force the pony in a specific direction whether they like it or not either because they are malfunctioning (like with a spell or illness like cutie pox) or if they are malevolent like the way I think the Equal sign cutie marks are. 

 

Sorry, I didn't read the thread as thoroughly as I should have. So the invisible cutie mark has a mind of its own, nudges the pony until the pony realizes the thing that makes them special and then it appears. Why do the marks need to hide before that point? They would get to where they're going much quicker if they were visible from the beginning. The parents could certainly spend some time trying to decipher the mark, and it would probably end up with the pony finding their special talent earlier. Not to mention creating a booming business in cutie mark soothsaying. And if their goal is happiness for the pony, staying hidden and making little ponies sad about not having a visible mark yet is kind of counter productive. Also, Twist is somewhat of a counterexample. If a cutie mark's goal is to get them to find their special thing, then the first time she made sweets and they came out swell, her cutie mark should have jumped at the chance to make her aware of it. Instead she has to realize it herself. Your theory would need to account for all this.

 

It was Rarity's horn that led her to the rock, not her cutie mark. So that's better evidence of horns having minds of their own than for cutie marks.

 

Do you recall the cutie pox, the active version of cutie marks, notice how Apple bloom was able to pull off things that she normally wouldn't be able to accomplish. Then there is the preview for season five, where it is briefly shown that Rainbow Dash has a equal sign cutie mark, and her speed seemed to be greatly reduced. 

 

I do, but that's not very convincing evidence. I wouldn't advise using the cutie pox as an example, since it's a disease that is shown to act in ways contrary to usual cutie marks (such as the fact that each pony has only one - Cheerilee admits she's never heard of a pony with 2 of them). Just because the cutie pox works that way, doesn't mean cutie marks in general do. 

 

If the cutie pox marks are the same as normal cutie marks except for the strength of their effect, then by your theory, they were always there but invisible. How do you account for the sheer number of them? Were they all hiding on Apple Bloom her entire life, waiting for her to get the cutie pox? If they were only created when AB got the pox, then they are even more different to normal cutie marks, which further makes them bad examples to generalize from.

 

You could also use that episode to conclude that cutie marks let ponies create things out of nothing (like Inspiration Manifestation, funnily enough) because some of the things AB "needs" to perform her talents appear out of nowhere, and vanish again after e.g. the lions, the fencing pony, etc. 

 

As for scenes from Season 5, I'm trying to avoid learning anything about it until it airs. For that reason, I'm not going to watch the trailer you posted yet. It might help support your theory, from the sounds of it. A lot depends on exactly how they present it. For instance, even if Dash was slowed down by the Equal cutie mark (since cutie marks denote what's special about a pony, making every pony "equal" would certainly be thematically fitting) it might not be made clear if it was due to losing her own cutie mark, or an effect of the Equal cutie mark itself.

 

The cutie marks act in a similar way that wands do in Harry potter; The magic is in the pony, but the cutie mark directs it in specific ways depending on the pony. Wings and horns work in a similar way, although they are conduits and ways of releasing the magic as opposed to internally directing them to specific skills and abilities like cutie marks. 

 

A very apt analogy, certainly true for horns, since we can see the magic being channeled. Cutie marks and the abilities of pegasus ponies are definitely magical in nature, as well. I don't object to the magical nature of cutie marks. It's the concept of cutie marks being in some way sentient (or quasi-sentient) and able to essentially drug the pony they're on that I find difficult to accept. 

 

Also Twilight was barely able to access her magic prior to her test, but when her cutie mark "appeared" it was released in amazing amounts, and she has had an incredibly strong affinity for learning how to use magic ever since. When Rainbow's was forming she was able to pull of her first Sonic Rainboom. 

 

You're putting the cart before the horse again. RD's cutie mark is shown to appear not only after she had already done the sonic rainboom, but also after she had already won the race. And she didn't get the mark until she thought to herself, "I [make] the impossible happen." Again, the trigger was realizing something special about herself.

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In Twilight's case, the boom from the rainboom is what startled her into releasing her inherent magic, not her cutie mark appearing. The mark only appeared after Celestia made Twi her protege, so her magic burst actually had little direct effect on her getting her cutie mark. Realizing she was now the student of the Princess was the special event that revealed her mark.

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She has an incredible strong affinity for learning how to use magic most likely because she studied for years under Princess Celestia, and not because her cutie mark somehow granted her the ability. We don't see what she is capable of directly after that event, only years later when the show itself takes place, so that isn't valid evidence either.

 

So I still disagree with your conclusion that cutie marks "ramp up" the ability they represent.

 

They are not merely marks on their rear, there is a lot more too it than that else they wouldn't have so many episodes focusing on them or referencing them. 

 

They're certainly magical. But it's a long leap from there to assuming they are somehow guiding the ponies actions through what amounts to operand conditioning, rather than just being a sign that the pony has found their calling, or a reflection of their destiny. Your idea kind of makes it sound like cutie marks are some kind of parasite with their own agenda, even if it's largely a benign one. It doesn't seem like a necessary conclusion given what we've seen.

 

Can I entirely disprove your theory? Probably not. But that doesn't make it plausible, given all the questions it raises. Destiny may be guiding the ponies, but I don't think behaviour-modifying cutie marks are the way it goes about it.

 

Its more plausible than you think, but again its just a theory at the end of the day. You make a lot of valid arguments, to the point where I don't have answers or theories just yet to answer them, and the ones I do would be nitpicky and pointless. I have a hunch that Season 5's premier is going to either make or break my theory with the appearance of the equal sign cutie-marks.

 

I don't see the regular cutie marks as parasitic though, more like symbiotic and part of a system of making Equestrian life thrive.  

[True Rarity 1,239]

Your theory is most interesting! I think that you might have something there.

 

The Cutie Pox always confused me as well, but that's the disease, I suppose. However, you noticed that when Apple Bloom had one cutie mark, she was able to stop loopty-hooping long enough to show her classmates the cutie mark before she began doing the trick. The more cutie marks she collected, the worse the affect. That's a disesase.

 

I suppose I was also confused as to the purpose of a real cutie mark. We, as humans, have talents, and we don't need pictures on our rumps to realize that. I like how you pointed out that the cutie mark seems to enhance how the pony does the talent.

 

We've seen that cutie marks appear to represent a pony's "destiny". It's a representation of who that pony is - balloons for the ever-cheerful and bouncy Pinkie Pie, butterflies for the fragile and quiet Fluttershy. Furthermore, the ponies appear to be happier with their cutie marks than ever before.

 

I won't deny that the marks seem to have a certain magic about them that enhances the pony's personality and talent, but I'm not sure "control" is the right word here. "Influence" might be a better choice.

Edited January 27, 2015 by True Rarity

[KiwiPony 125]

Well perceived, I really like this idea. However I wouldn't say they are too literal when it comes to cutie marks, for instance Fluttershy has 3 butterfly's because she is gentle and cares for animals however these are not having to be butterflys. So in a way the cutie marks are open to interpretation, these do not set in stone that ponys life. Also, pony's are welcome to have career changes, I believe it was Pinkie Pie in the episode with Cheese Sandwich where she trys different jobs but none of them work out, so pony's aren't given or refused a job because of their cutie mark. Often cutie marks are given when a pony finds her destiny, as with Applejack and wanting to run Sweet Apple Acres, therefore the cutie mark will probably be relevant all through her life since it is her goal and most likely destiny.

As for them affecting a pony's mental health, I can agree and also disagree here, the CMC are examples of how tough it can be without cutie marks since there are bully's and expectations that require cutie marks. Yet I don't think this damages them mentally because its more something they really want, its just like really wanting your parents to buy you a PlayStation because it never seems to happen (horrible analogy but hey, this is my post ) so I think they would have that same feeling instead. Or when you mentioned they feeling like they are stuck in that profession because of their mark well I think the mark takes into consideration their feelings on the job or talent. As we saw in season 3 finale pony's match their cutie marks and not others. So I think cutie marks are safe because I think its actually what ponies want. (I probably have 100s of spelling mistakes so sorry but I hope all makes sense)

[BlinkZ 1,151]

As a few have stated, cutie marks don't force a pony to do something, unles we are are talking about magical means like cutie pox or starwirds spell.

A cutie mark is more an abstract repesentation of a talent. Take cheerilee for example, floowers and smiles and when eh explain what 'she feels it means' that pretty much sums what what cutie marks are.  Now if only the CMC would get that into thier heads.

[Cwanky 17,472]

Cutie Marks, at least from my understanding, reflect who a person is based upon how they perceive themselves. In other words, the person defines the cutie mark, not the other way around. Its not necessarily confined to a talent, but more likely its a personal reflection.

 

The thing I find problematic about cutie marks is that they're not well defined. Can a cutie mark be changed once it appeared? There's significant implications here. The real world isn't as ideal or simplistic as Equestria at times may seem. What does that mean for ponies like Coco Pommel and Silver Shill who continue to live misguided and troubled lives? Remember even after Silver Shill was reformed, his cutie mark - the shill which reflects his talent in deception - did not change.

 

Its the whole destiny v fate conundrum I don't like. People have mid life crises all the time, along with divorces, tragedies and other things. Real life is far less ideal and static than Equestria at times. We don't have cutie marks to remind and show others who we are. What we may have are tattoos and moreover for many of us lots of scars, both physical and mental.

[Pineapple Bloom 511]

I don't think they force them. But they are dangerous because they seem to make the pony go insane if they can't do something related to what the cutie mark represents. Or they could try way too hard to do what their cutie mark represents.

 

For example, Fluttershy goes insane in The Best Night Ever when she  can't communicate with the animals.

[Soaring Symphony 372]

Their thought process wasn't that

 

They were going about their day as if This is how its always been. Its heavily implied in that episode that the ponies had false memories, and this included the bystanders who knew them. They went along with it because they were just going about their daily life with modified memories. It wasn't until the spell was undone that they remembered the truth, and this goes for the mane six as well.

 

 

 

 

Are you sure this idea lines up with what happens in the episode? For example does the element of Generosity REALLY have to do with sowing dresses? Or the element of loyalty being linked to controlling the weather? Or the element of honesty equals working on a farm? 

If the cutie marks are unimportant, then why did they all have theirs activate at the same time and were positioned for exactly that to happen?

Why does magic that affect cutie marks do exactly what I theorize if they do not have influence on the pony?

Why have equal sign cutie marks if cutie marks do nothing but reflect what a pony thinks of itself? Further, why don't cutie marks change all the time if it merely reflects what the pony thinks its good at? 

 

Is it so strange to think that Cutie Marks may have such an influence? 

Ok so maybe I misinterperated what happened in magical mystery cure.  Looking back over it, I admit I was kind of talking out of my flank.  My main point though is that it's a ponies natural talents that deturmine what the cutie mark is.  Not the other way around.  A cutie mark is not a form of BUCKING mind control.  It's a moot point and doesn't hold any water to the shows cannon.  

I don't think they force them. But they are dangerous because they seem to make the pony go insane if they can't do something related to what the cutie mark represents. Or they could try way too hard to do what their cutie mark represents.

 

For example, Fluttershy goes insane in The Best Night Ever when she  can't communicate with the animals

The reason Flutters went insane in The Best Night Ever is because she'd been communicating with animals almost her whole life (doing it well I might add) and suddenly, seemingly for no reason, she sucked at it.  Of course she'd be really upset by that.  Who wouldn't?  That's not because of any kind of cutie mark related mind control.  It's because she'd been doing one thing her whole life and, in turn, grew to see a sense of comfort and security in that one activity.  Then suddenly, with no explaination, she wasn't able to do that thing any more.  Again, it makes perfect sense why she would lose her $#!% over that.  That's the same reason Twilight lost her head in Lesson Zero or why Pinkie did in Party of One.  That's why RD cowered in a corner in Sonic Rainboom.  Her whole life she had been flying fast through the air but suddenly started sucking at it.  The cutie marks themselves don't exhibit any kind of mind controll.  Instead, the society they live encourages ponies to do what their most talented at.  If those talents suddenly don't work (for whatever reason) then it is no streatch of the immagination to say that those ponies would be completely distraught over it.  

Further, why don't cutie marks change all the time if it merely reflects what the pony thinks its good at? 

 

I guess I should have elaborated more.  A cutie mark doesn't just reflect what a pony's good at.  It represents their true calling in life.  For example, AJ's cutie mark (3 apples) might represent that she's a great apple farmer, but it also represents her love and devotion to her familly (the Apples) which is something that will always be a part of her life.  Simmilarly, the cutie mark on my OC is a microphone because I've always had a really loud booming voice and loved singing at every chance I got.

[gamecubeguy214 2,511]

No, cutie marks aren't dangerous, it's the cutie pox you're talking about. The cutie pox is dangerous, cutie marks aren't.

[John Locke N7 52]

What the heck are Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon good at? That what I want to know. XD

Edited February 2, 2015 by John Locke N7

[Buck Testa 5,503]

 

 

My main point though is that it's a ponies natural talents that deturmine what the cutie mark is.  Not the other way around.  A cutie mark is not a form of BUCKING mind control.  It's a moot point and doesn't hold any water to the shows cannon.

 

Chill. Its a theory.

And it does hold water, quite a bit of it, else I wouldn't be so interested in the idea. You are right, for normal cutie marks their natural talent is what determines what form the cutie mark takes, I say that myself. The cutie mark helps them come to that conclusion and helps them find that realization, Like the events that led the mane six awaken their cutie marks at the same time. We can surmise that that was not a coincidence because some of them were brought to where they needed to be by external forces so when the rainboom happened they would all have an epiphany. 

The equal sign cutie marks are going to be the things that really show whether my theory is valid or not though.

 

[Soaring Symphony 372]

I really don't like the idea that a cutie mark is a kind of drug that a pony can suffer withdrawal symptoms from.  Now I know how the mane six acted when they couldn't follow what their marks represented but I don't think that was because of any kind of mind control.  My main reason for thinking that is because I've had a similar experience myself.  To understand, allow me to tell you some of my backstory  It might be a little hard to see, but the cutie mark on my OC is a microphone.  The reason for that is because I've always had a very loud booming voice.  I'm so loud, in fact, that when I was younger, my mom made me wear something called a whisper phone (http://www.amazon.co...s=whisper phone) in order to keep an indoor voice.  Another reason I chose a microphone for my OC's cutie mark is because I've always had a huge passion for singing (I've always been pretty good at it too #humble_Brag).  Nothing gives me greater joy then to sing my heart out and I will gladly break into song at every chance I get.  Why do I bring this up?  Well, growing up, there was a family tradition that when we graduated from middle school into high school, we got to go on a weekend long vacation trip to anywhere of our choosing.  I decided I wanted to go to King's Island.  However, when we got there, something terrible happened.  I lost my voice.  To this day, I still don't know how or why it happened but I could not speak, even at a whisper, without feeling like I was shouting at the top of my lungs.  For me, my main means of self-expression is vocal.  Singing is part of who I am and to not be able to talk, let alone sing, Was more awful then I want to think about.  While I didn't completely lose it like the characters in the show, I think the only reason for that is because.......it happened at Kings Island.  All the fun rides helped me to, sort of, take my mind off of it..  But what should have been a joyous celebration of my graduation into high school wasn't half as fun as it should have been.  This sounds a lot like the mane six's mental break downs doesn't it??????  I know this isn't because of any kind of cutie mark related mind control because it happened to me.  I'm a human and humans don't have cutie marks.  When it comes to the mental break downs in the show, I've noticed a pattern.  When Fluttershy couldn't get the animals to interact with her, she lashed out in anger.  When Pinky Pie thought her friends didn't like her parties, she went completely bonkers.  When Rainbow Dash was insecure about her ability to fly well, she cowered in a corner.  What do all these instances have in common?  They're all identity crisis’s.  It's true.  They completely lost it when they couldn't do what their cutie marks represented.  However, that's not because they were suffering withdrawl on some kind of cutie mark drug.  It's because their marks represent thier special talents.  They represent the one thing that makes them unique from everypony else.  I don't know what I would be without my ability to sing well.  Similarly, What would Pinky Pie be without her parties?  What would Rainbow Dash be without her flight?  Those are the things that make them who they are.  when they felt they had lost those talents, most likely, they felt like they had lost part of who they were and simply didn't know how to deal with it.   

Edited February 5, 2015 by Serenade

[Buck Testa 5,503]

 

I really don't like the idea that a cutie mark is a kind of drug that a pony can suffer withdrawal symptoms from.  Now I know how the mane six acted when they couldn't follow what their marks represented but I don't think that was because of any kind of mind control.  My main reason for thinking that is because I've had a similar experience myself.  To understand, allow me to tell you some of my backstory  It might be a little hard to see, but the cutie mark on my OC is a microphone.  The reason for that is because I've always had a very loud booming voice.  I'm so loud, in fact, that when I was younger, my mom made me wear something called a whisper phone (http://www.amazon.co...s=whisper phone) in order to keep an indoor voice.  Another reason I chose a microphone for my OC's cutie mark is because I've always had a huge passion for singing (I've always been pretty good at it too #humble_Brag).  Nothing gives me greater joy then to sing my heart out and I will gladly break into song at every chance I get.  Why do I bring this up?  Well, growing up, there was a family tradition that when we graduated from middle school into high school, we got to go on a weekend long vacation trip to anywhere of our choosing.  I decided I wanted to go to King's Island.  However, when we got there, something terrible happened.  I lost my voice.  To this day, I still don't know how or why it happened but I could not speak, even at a whisper, without feeling like I was shouting at the top of my lungs.  For me, my main means of self-expression is vocal.  Singing is part of who I am and to not be able to talk, let alone sing, Was more awful then I want to think about.  While I didn't completely lose it like the characters in the show, I think the only reason for that is because.......it happened at Kings Island.  That place is always fun.  But what should have been a joyous celebration of my graduation into high school wasn't half as fun as it should have been.  This sounds a lot like the mane six's mental break downs doesn't it??????  I know this isn't because of any kind of cutie mark related mind control because it happened to me.  I'm a human and humans don't have cutie marks.  When it comes to the mental break downs in the show, I've noticed a pattern.  When Fluttershy couldn't get the animals to interact with her, she lashed out in anger.  When Pinky Pie thought her friends didn't like her parties, she went completely bonkers.  When Rainbow Dash was insecure about her ability to fly well, she cowered in a corner.  What do all these instances have in common?  They're all identity crisis’s.  It's true.  They completely lost it when they couldn't do what their cutie marks represented.  However, that's not because they were suffering withdrawl on some kind of cutie mark drug.  It's because their marks represent thier special talents.  They represent the one thing that makes them unique from everypony else.  I don't know what I would be without my ability to sing well.  Similarly, What would Pinky Pie be without her parties?  What would Rainbow Dash be without her flight?  Those are the things that make them who they are.  when they felt they had lost those talents, most likely, they felt like they had lost part of who they were and simply didn't know how to deal with it.   

 

I've moved away from the drug withdrawl portion of the theory since its inception. You aren't the first one to point out that that aspect of the theory could be explained via identity crisis. Its part of my original theory, but I've updated and molded it since then. I actually started with the idea that cutie marks were all malevolent in some way, but as I looked into it I grew to actually like the world they help build and the way they handle the ponies they are with. I originally conceived them as a method of mind control yes, but its now more along the lines of a nudge in the best direction, sort of a Jimminy Cricket if you will. That is not to say the couldn't do what my initial theory suggested, but rather they don't because the are trying to be beneficial and helpful. If they were evil then Rarity would of been a spastic mess for resisting her cutie mark instead of just comically dragged by the horn. 

 

While I don't think NORMAL cutie marks are in the habit of mind control, you cannot deny the equal sign cutie marks are having a drastic influence on the ones who have them.  

[Memory Lane 131]

Very interesting. What force controls the cutie mark system? I always believed they were "created" in the instant a pony discovers what they are most passionate about in life. That eureka feeling is "captured" and manifested as the cutie mark itself. This is why I figured in Magical Mystery Cure, the mane 5 could be compelled into doing something so clearly wrong for them. I'm not sure if simply having a cutie mark will increase one's aptitude for something. Perhaps they merely inspire one to perform at their peak potential by always feeding into one's subconscious how passionate they once felt.

[Soaring Symphony 372]

I've moved away from the drug withdrawl portion of the theory since its inception. You aren't the first one to point out that that aspect of the theory could be explained via identity crisis. Its part of my original theory, but I've updated and molded it since then. I actually started with the idea that cutie marks were all malevolent in some way, but as I looked into it I grew to actually like the world they help build and the way they handle the ponies they are with. I originally conceived them as a method of mind control yes, but its now more along the lines of a nudge in the best direction, sort of a Jimminy Cricket if you will. That is not to say the couldn't do what my initial theory suggested, but rather they don't because the are trying to be beneficial and helpful. If they were evil then Rarity would of been a spastic mess for resisting her cutie mark instead of just comically dragged by the horn. 

 

While I don't think NORMAL cutie marks are in the habit of mind control, you cannot deny the equal sign cutie marks are having a drastic influence on the ones who have them.  

So what you're saying is that a ponies cutie mark is a physiclal manifestation of their concience????  Is that it?????????

[Buck Testa 5,503]

So what you're saying is that a ponies cutie mark is a physiclal manifestation of their concience????  Is that it?????????

not exactly... conscience would imply they are about moral decisions of stuff like right and wrong. If that was the case than the FlimFlam brothers cutie marks are not doing their job. Rather they guide them in the direction they would be happiest and most fulfilled (this being REGULAR cutie marks). They try to do this with the least restrictive measures, but are capable of exerting force if they deem it necessary and for the pony's good. They are kind of like how Celestia was for Twilight in season 1. Twilight wants to deal with a problem, Celestia says go do something, which ultimately is the answer to the problem and twilight learning and growing from it. The direction they are lead to also benifits ponies as a whole, because they learn how to help and work with the community. 

 

This sounds very, well, communistic, but you have to remember Equestria is NOT a free society. They have rulers they bow to, so it would make sense that there is a system in place to keep the peace and to encourage ponies to find a productive and happy existence in the kingdom, not "Mind control" but "behavioral management", either lightly like with regular cutie marks, or strong and restrictive like the Equal sign cutie marks. This system of cutie marks is ONLY found on equestrian ponies, creatures like Dragons, donkeys, cows, minotaurs, and griffins do not have cutie marks. Saddle Arabians for instance while Equine do not have cutie marks. 

Edited February 5, 2015 by Buck Testa

[Soaring Symphony 372]

This system of cutie marks is ONLY found on equestrian ponies, creatures like Dragons, donkeys, cows, minotaurs, and griffins do not have cutie marks. Saddle Arabians for instance while Equine do not have cutie marks.

Wait a minute? If cutie marks supposedly only exist on Equestrian ponies, why does Zecora (a zebra) have one??????

 

http://th02.deviantart.net/fs70/PRE/i/2012/307/8/0/zecora_by_hawk9mm-d5bfzw0.png

[Buck Testa 5,503]

Wait a minute? If cutie marks supposedly only exist on Equestrian ponies, why does Zecora (a zebra) have one??????

 

http://th02.deviantart.net/fs70/PRE/i/2012/307/8/0/zecora_by_hawk9mm-d5bfzw0.png

 

That is the problem with using absolute statements :/ my bad

There is a specific tribe of Zebra that Luna encountered that have cutie marks, which was notably odd enough for her to document. I'm pretty sure Zecora is from/ a descendant of that tribe, though I know very little about them considering their total lack of screen time and the fact that they only appear in the Tale of Two Sisters book. The wiki ALSO states that besides Equestrian ponies and this tribe of Zebra no other race has cutie marks. 

[Buck Testa 5,503]

UPDATE:

 

 

This only confirms that the Equal sign cutie marks featured in the preview are in fact going to be a prominent role in the season five opener. Lets really look at what's really going on here. These ponies, blankly smiling and even toting around banners of it remove any and all doubt that there is something very wrong with these cutie marks. They are operating as a singular unit, all behaving the same way, and if that little clip about the rainbowdash centric season five preview commercial hints to anything, they can take over the place of other cutie marks. 

 

IF they were just marks on someones flank then this wouldn't be a problem right? But they aren't, they affect the pony they are connected to, either beneficially like NORMAL ones, or Maliciously like the Equal sign cutie marks. 

 

Good googly I'm hyped for this