Is twilight Autistic?

[Eloquence 2,076]

I think Twilight's behavior falls more in line with Generalized Anxiety Disorder. Her need to keep everything organized strikes me as being driven by her desire not to make mistakes or fail at anything, and she tends to worry excessively about failing a task or disappointing someone, often leading to her playing out "worst case scenarios" in her head (Lesson Zero being the most obvious example). However, to me, Pinkie Pie and Maud Pie both have characteristics that strongly suggest that they fall somewhere on the Autism Spectrum. So many in fact that I can even give you an organized bullet point list.

 

Pinkie Pie -

 

• Often approaches problems differently from others, solutions that her friends don't even think of are obvious to her
• Has an exceptional, perhaps even photographic memory (as seen in A Friend in Deed)
• Is prone to strong mood swings and overreaction

 

Maud Pie -

 

• Deeply interested in a single subject to the point of being obsessive
• Anthropomorphizes an object and carries it with her (my little brother who has Autism does something similar with stuffed animals)

 

Both sisters -

• Show difficulty in understanding social situations and responding appropriately
• Display "inappropriate" emotional responses to situations (ie, responses that a neurotypical person wouldn't have)
• Do not appear to adjust their behavior based on the social situations they are in
• Are sisters - Autism tends to show up in multiple siblings within the same family

 

I'm not a psychologist, nor am I on the spectrum myself, but Pinkie and Maud strike me as highly likely to be on the spectrum based on my knowledge and experiences, which I have acquired quite a lot of over the years. Take what I say with a grain of salt, but just a grain.

[Odyssey 5,713]

Uh, no. Just because Twi is not the most sociable character doesn't automatically mean she's autistic. There was never a time in the show where this sort of junk is pointed out, nor it ever will be. Heck, you can't even say that any character that is unsociable/naïve/wanting to organise things/whatever is autistic just because they share traits with the disorder. That is just how they're written, nothing else.

 

I don't know why autism is a topic that people just love to bring up, but I personally wish this disorder never existed.

[Wonderbolt 68]

I think you could argue she have very very borderline Aspergers but I don't think she does (It would be cool is she was though).

  I think I a lot of people say Twilight is autistic (and say other mane six character are autistic or otherwise neurodiverse)  because they want a fictional character (who is portrayed in a positive way) who they can identify with and faces the same challenges.

  Its certainly good that the characters can be seen that way, especially considering how neurodiverse people are normally negatively portrayed in shows and the media at large.

[Nightfall Gloam 18,237]

I've always suspected it, with me being Autistic myself, and how much I can relate to Twilight Sparkle. However, I've failed to find any evidence that could be used as definitive proof that she is in fact "autistic". 

[PenPal 121]

Maybe she has aspergers, which isn't really considered autism anymore, used to be thought of as highfunctioning autism. people who have it are also usually really smart. People who have aspergers commonly have anxiety problems like OCD, Anxiety, etc.

Edited October 24, 2015 by PenPal

[MoltenKitten 341]

According to some of these reasons I have autism, which is a lie.

 

I think she has OCD like me rather than autism.

[Venomous 18,816]

I sincerley doubt that any of the main characters have any sort of disorders.

I honestly can't stand when fans look into this.

[Malinter 3,064]

I sincerley doubt that any of the main characters have any sort of disorders.

I honestly can't stand when fans look into this.

 

So your telling me if you met someone in real life with the same personality as pinkie pie who would stalk you everywhere, give you cake at random, want to party for every little achievement to ever made, cartwheel at random and have seizures that let her see into the future... you wouldn't think, even for a second, that "something is off with this person?" XD

Edited October 24, 2015 by Malinter

[1111 1,284]

So your telling me if you met someone in real life with the same personality as pinkie pie who would stalk you everywhere, give you cake at random, want to party for every little achievement to ever made, cartwheel at random and have seizures that let her see into the future... you wouldn't think, even for a second, that "something is off with this person?" XD

Yah but she's not crazy she can tell the future and warp shes not human....pony(?).

[Kyoshi Frost Wolf 40,387]

It is possible that she is on the spectrum, though unlikely, but if she was, it would be on the very high end, where she has some awkwardness to her sociality and whatnot, but she is incredibly intelligent as a result. I wish I was on that end than the one I am on, which is...well, nowhere near as positive. 

[Lucario14 26]

It is possible that she is on the spectrum, though unlikely, but if she was, it would be on the very high end, where she has some awkwardness to her sociality and whatnot, but she is incredibly intelligent as a result. I wish I was on that end than the one I am on, which is...well, nowhere near as positive. 

From what I've seen you post in the comments, you seem pretty intelligent. 

 

OT: It's really hard to say...I know autistic children exhibit behaviour like staring at a flushed toilet, or staring at car wheels or lining up toys instead of playing with them. They like repetition because it calms them. They're also late to speak. As adults their behaviour would change so maybe Twilight was like that when she was a child? They love having a routine and get upset when they're exposed to something new. I don't think Twilight gets upset in a new environment but just prefers order and control of the situation so my gut tells me no, she's not autistic.  

[Sazama Ichida 2,354]

She seems to have Obsessive Compulsive Disorder based on what I've seen. Alot of the characters honestly seem to show symptoms of some sort of disorder.

Twilight: OCD
Rainbow Dash: ADD
Pinkie Pie: ADHD
Rarity: PTSD
Fluttershy: Split Personality Disorder
Applejack: Dyslexia
Maud Pie: Asperger's Syndrome
Derpy Hooves: Downs Syndrome

Edited October 24, 2015 by Asbel Lhant

[MoltenKitten 341]

 

 

Rainbow Dash: ADD

 

Rarity: PTSD

Fluttershy: Split Personality Disorder

Applejack: Dyslexia

Maud Pie: Asperger's Syndrome

 

What?

 

I would like to see your reasoning for these

[Venomous 18,816]

So your telling me if you met someone in real life with the same personality as pinkie pie who would stalk you everywhere, give you cake at random, want to party for every little achievement to ever made, cartwheel at random and have seizures that let her see into the future... you wouldn't think, even for a second, that "something is off with this person?" XD

If I met a human like that, then I would assume that something was wrong with them.

This is a children's cartoon and I don't think that the writers would give the characters serious mental disorders.

[Master Intelligence 53]

I don't think she has autism personally.  I've never been tested for autism but I'm 90% sure that I land somewhere along the spectrum.  Many people avoid talking to me because my mind can instantly switch from one topic to another. 

 

And I'm most certainly not ignorant to social norms, but I'd rather not converse with ignorant people that spout ignorant statements, since that tends to irk me.  I never talked to anyone in middle/high school because no one ever understood my stances on certain things.  And now that I'm in college I'd have to say that it's pretty much the same scenario, just a bit more tame.

In all seriousness I agree. Besides being socially awkward she doesn't really retain that many common issues related to autism.

Now I can't speak for every autistic person. through I may be on the mild and high functioning part of the spectrum.

It does go on a spectrum and will vary from person to person. Like even through we may have the same issue with autism he might have it worse off then me etc.

 

I'm much like you MountainDrew. in the sense I change my topics very suddenly and have very different stand points then most people but I also have to attend to being Hyper-active.

You will find even when I'm sitting I'll be swinging my lags or tapping my fingers I'm constantly moving my body in one way or another to let out all the energy that is inside of me.

Edited October 24, 2015 by Coder-MP

[J. Brony 313]

I sincerley doubt that any of the main characters have any sort of disorders.

I honestly can't stand when fans look into this.

 

I've seen the same thing with fans trying to link their favorite characters to their own political leaning, religion, sexuality, etc.  It's all a bid to have a pony who "represents" them in the show.  It's all pretty harmless reallly but can get aggrevating when these people get pushy about it.

Edited October 24, 2015 by J. Brony

[Sazama Ichida 2,354]

What?

 

I would like to see your reasoning for these

@Rainbow Dash: Isn't it obvious? You saw how much trouble she had learning when Twilight tried to help her in Testing Testing 1 2 3 right? RD is also plagued by lack of stimulation and organization and gets restless or starts loafing around when she finds nothing else to do. And she can also be impulsive and disregard rules of rationality even in the face of danger.

 

@Rarity: Is a total drama queen and freaks out alot over trivial things. Need I say anymore? This one should be obvious.

 

@Applejack: AJ is rather simple. No eccentricities but this simplicity does extend to her mind. I wouldn't call her very skilled at Math or language so she instead employed herself in what she can do. Physical Labor.

 

@Fluttershy: Threatens Twilight if she doesn't take good care of her animals in one episode. Goes completely insane at the end of The Best Night Ever.

 

@Maud: Really can't believe this one isn't obvious.

 

1. Responds to social interactions but does not initiate them.

 

2. Difficulty of understanding or disregarding the rules of conversation

 

3. Gives spontaneous comments that have no relation to the current situation.

 

4. Makes comments that are both honest and inappropriate.

 

5. Prefers to be alone and aloof.

 

6. Lack of interest or awareness in what's going on around her.

 

7. Talks excessively about one or two topics.

 

8. Minimally acknowledges others.

 

9. Unusual behavior patterns ex. sniffing, licking etc.

 

10. Fascination with rotation

 

11. Difficulty maintaining friendships

 

12. Abnormal use of pitch, intonation, rhythm, or stress in certain vowel sounds when speaking.

 

13. Play is often repetitive.

 

14. Desires comfort items

 

15. Exceptionally high skills in certain areas but extremely low skills in others.

 

16. Difficulty understanding figures of speech, jokes, or sarcasm.

 

That's literally every single symptom of Asperger's except one:

 

17. Often quotes movies or videogames etc.

Edited October 24, 2015 by Asbel Lhant

[MountainDrew 1,876]

 

 

@Rainbow Dash: Isn't it obvious? You saw how much trouble she had learning when Twilight tried to help her in Testing Testing 1 2 3 right? RD is also plagued by lack of stimulation and organization and gets restless or starts loafing around when she finds nothing else to do. And she can also be impulsive and disregard rules of rationality even in the face of danger.

 

@Rarity: Is a total drama queen and freaks out alot over trivial things. Need I say anymore? This one should be obvious.

 

@Applejack: AJ is rather simple. No eccentricities but this simplicity does extend to her mind. I wouldn't call her very skilled at Math or language so she instead employed herself in what she can do. Physical Labor.

 

@Fluttershy: Threatens Twilight if she doesn't take good care of her animals in one episode. Goes completely insane at the end of The Best Night Ever.

 

@Maud: Really can't believe this one isn't obvious.

 

1. Responds to social interactions but does not initiate them.

 

2. Difficulty of understanding or disregarding the rules of conversation

 

3. Gives spontaneous comments that have no relation to the current situation.

 

4. Makes comments that are both honest and inappropriate.

 

5. Prefers to be alone and aloof.

 

6. Lack of interest or awareness in what's going on around her.

 

7. Talks excessively about one or two topics.

 

8. Minimally acknowledges others.

 

9. Unusual behavior patterns ex. sniffing, licking etc.

 

10. Fascination with rotation

 

11. Difficulty maintaining friendships

 

12. Abnormal use of pitch, intonation, rhythm, or stress in certain vowel sounds when speaking.

 

13. Play is often repetitive.

 

14. Desires comfort items

 

15. Exceptionally high skills in certain areas but extremely low skills in others.

 

16. Difficulty understanding figures of speech, jokes, or sarcasm.

 

That's literally every single symptom of Asperger's except one:

 

17. Often quotes movies or videogames etc.

 

 

Why do people incessantly continue to overanalyze the characters of this show?  And/or even the show itself for that matter?

 

You can't define these characters because their personalities will remain subjective from person to person (some will view the characters' personalities differently when compared to others).  To say otherwise would be ignorant and nonsensical.

[Biggybrony 244]

Probably not. She has demonstrated characteristics of Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder where her need to organize and follow schedules and deadlines has caused other ponies genuine harm in the past (see Lesson Zero). She doesn't seem to have such a problem with dropping everything and leaving nowadays though (see Amending Fences). Another characteristic of Asperger's Syndrome is the decreased or lack of the ability to understand the emotions or pain of other people which Twilight has definitely not demonstrated on account of being the princess of friendship and coming to the aid of those in emotional distress on a regular basis. Of course these are just 2 points and I haven't researched this in a long time so this is just based off of experience. Tell me if I've got any of this wrong.

[geartree 33]

I don't really know. I know she sometimes seems to not really understand peoples emotions at times, and I know autist people have trouble recognizing emptions at times. Or is that just me.

[Sazama Ichida 2,354]

Why do people incessantly continue to overanalyze the characters of this show?  And/or even the show itself for that matter?

 

You can't define these characters because their personalities will remain subjective from person to person (some will view the characters' personalities differently when compared to others).  To say otherwise would be ignorant and nonsensical.

Because some people enjoy analyzing things. It can be interesting.

[Ayvid_Reader 77]

Hmm... possibly, but it would be very mild. She shows some signs, but it would be vary easy to argue that a person can show those same signs just because of their personality, not because of a mental condition. I say it is up to personal interpretation. 

 

I agree. I do not fall on the spectrum (as far as any doctor has told me) and I do some of the same things she does that people are saying make her autistic. However, if that's how a person wants to see her then go for it I say.

 

Maybe, and maybe not.

 

Whether she has it or not does change the type of pony or person that she is, and if people with autism can draw some inspiration from her than I don't see the harm in thinking that. I would not go as far to call it canon though.

 

As people have pointed out earlier autism has a broad range of behavior so in a sense Twilight can fall into this category rather easy, but it does not mean that she has it. 

 

I agree let people draw inspritation and such from her no matter what. If you relate to someone because of their personality it doesn't matter what disorders they have or don't have.

 

According to some of these reasons I have autism, which is a lie.

 

I think she has OCD like me rather than autism.

 

I was noticing that a lot of the reasons they were giving puts me on the scale pretty far as well and I have a lot of disorders but that's not one of them.

 

@Rarity: Is a total drama queen and freaks out alot over trivial things. Need I say anymore? This one should be obvious.

 

I don't mean to be overly critical, but that is not what PTSD is like. Just because she is a drama queen does not mean she has it. I have PTSD pretty badly from both my childhood and from my military service so I've read a lot of books and such on the subject to better understand myself. However, I've never once heard someone freaking out over "trivial" things as a symptom of their PTSD. I also don't agree with you when you say her freak outs are about trivial things but then give her a disorder such as PTSD. To her (and those like her) they are not trivial. Trust me I freak out if I hear car doors slam. It may seem silly and stupid to lose your cool over it, but to me it's not. A mental disorder such as PTSD (or any really) makes what people think of as trivial or inconsiquential as major things. If I hear a car door slam it immeditally send me back to my childhood where it is related to something I don't wish to talk about in this forum. However, I get weird looks when I stop functioning and can only stand there with my hands over my ears humming a song or doing one of my other ticks until I calm down.

 

Sorry I'm not trying to be rude, but I don't agree she has PTSD, and even if she did I don't agree with you that it's trivial things that she is getting upset about. However, my perspective may be vastly different than yours. I don't know your own personal history or your level of interaction with someone with PTSD or even your knowledge level of it.

[\/ 650]

Within the rules of technicalities, we're all on the spectrum, and any character of human creation would be as well, so one could say, in a way, yes, but there's no solid evidence. It's a spectrum for a reason. There is an insane variation between the two ends. Some consider themselves to completely "normal," while others are set in a state of very low function. She's certainly got a few mental disorders, but so does every human/pony. 

[MoltenKitten 341]

@Rainbow Dash: Isn't it obvious? You saw how much trouble she had learning when Twilight tried to help her in Testing Testing 1 2 3 right? RD is also plagued by lack of stimulation and organization and gets restless or starts loafing around when she finds nothing else to do. And she can also be impulsive and disregard rules of rationality even in the face of danger.

 

@Rarity: Is a total drama queen and freaks out alot over trivial things. Need I say anymore? This one should be obvious.

 

@Applejack: AJ is rather simple. No eccentricities but this simplicity does extend to her mind. I wouldn't call her very skilled at Math or language so she instead employed herself in what she can do. Physical Labor.

 

@Fluttershy: Threatens Twilight if she doesn't take good care of her animals in one episode. Goes completely insane at the end of The Best Night Ever.

 

@Maud: Really can't believe this one isn't obvious.

 

1. Responds to social interactions but does not initiate them.

 

2. Difficulty of understanding or disregarding the rules of conversation

 

3. Gives spontaneous comments that have no relation to the current situation.

 

4. Makes comments that are both honest and inappropriate.

 

5. Prefers to be alone and aloof.

 

6. Lack of interest or awareness in what's going on around her.

 

7. Talks excessively about one or two topics.

 

8. Minimally acknowledges others.

 

9. Unusual behavior patterns ex. sniffing, licking etc.

 

10. Fascination with rotation

 

11. Difficulty maintaining friendships

 

12. Abnormal use of pitch, intonation, rhythm, or stress in certain vowel sounds when speaking.

 

13. Play is often repetitive.

 

14. Desires comfort items

 

15. Exceptionally high skills in certain areas but extremely low skills in others.

 

16. Difficulty understanding figures of speech, jokes, or sarcasm.

 

That's literally every single symptom of Asperger's except one:

 

17. Often quotes movies or videogames etc.

How could I be so blind as to not notice this.

[GuyNamedEarl 1,332]

Pretty much what everyone else is she saying, she isn't autistic just because she was shy and anti-social, she's just a nerd (or egg head, as best pony would say)