Psychological Analyses Entry One: Fluttershy

[Queen Cassie 3,057]

Psychological Analyses Series Links:

2. Applejack

3. Rarity

4. Rainbow Dash

5. Pinkie Pie

 

Back when I first joined the forum, I posted, in the fan club threads, a series of psychological analyses I wrote during late December for the Mane Six. I've been promising to revise them ever since when the season ended, and so I have. We begin with Fluttershy.

 

In my original analysis of Fluttershy, I spoke of her being the pony I most identify with after Twilight. While I am not quite so sure I would so readily say that now, we still definitely share many traits in common, particularly her most obvious trait, her shy attitude towards life. Fluttershy is often mistaken for being flat, boring, uninteresting. Some say she has no depth, others say she's better off as a background character. While it's true that her passive personality often lends her better used as a support character than as a central focus, to call Fluttershy flat and lacking in depth is to watch the show with blind eyes.

 

Fluttershy's early foalhood was a tough one. I speculated before that she was an easy target for bullies, and as we have since learned through Hurricane Fluttershy, she definitely was bullied, and rather harshly at that. Her weak flying skills not only made it difficult for her to get around Cloudsdale, but also left her as easy prey for bullying even outside of just having the skills mocked, because she couldn't easily run away. I speculated before that this could lead to serious repressed anger issues, and as we saw in Putting Your Hoof Down that was clearly the case, but I shall touch on that later. For now I want to talk about one of the most crucial events in her life: the Pegasus race and her fall from Cloudsdale.

 

Rainbow Dash saved Fluttershy from an instance of bullying, though it's still unclear whether or not they knew each other at the time that she did that--I am willing to say that she did. We see both Dashie and Fluttershy together as fillies in Cloudsdale in Hurricane Fluttershy, and although we see them with their Cutie Marks, I consider that to be an animation error for reasons I will explain. Were Dashie and Fluttershy close friends? Maybe...at the very least Dashie liked to rescue Fluttershy from time to time, as I get the impression from Cutie Mark Chronicles that it wasn't the first time Rainbow Dash had swooped in as a savior. Whatever the case, the proposed race led to Fluttershy falling quite possibly to her death.

 

As before in my original analysis, the scene remains just as shocking and implies just as many terrible things about Fluttershy's life in Cloudsdale and her family. It's not as if Fluttershy just slipped out of sight through the cloud in a blink and you'll miss it moment. She spins around for several seconds making a lot of noise until she falls, screaming the whole way down. Granted, a lot of the ponies nearby were distracted by the race, but given the speed those three colts and Rainbow Dash were moving at, by the time Fluttershy fell they were already long gone, meaning someone should have seen her fall. But no one did, and no one went after her. Had it not been for that swarm of butterflies, Fluttershy would have died. Where was her family? Where was her guardian? What about Cloudsdale police forces or someone else to watch out for these kinds of accidents? Given the height of Cloudsdale and given her weak flying skills, someone should have been watching over her at all times, keeping an eye on her, making sure she was safe, seeing to her. But no one did, and no one went after her either, which we can tell because no one shows up during the time she spends on the ground. In fact, the events of the episode go so far as to imply that she moved into Ponyville right after she fell and that she never returned to Cloudsdale at all. Although Hurricane Fluttershy throws that interpretation into question, I would still prefer to interpret events this way as it doesn't make much sense that she would decide to go back after learning about everything beautiful on the ground. She even declares in So Many Wonders that had she known, she'd have "come here sooner and never leave." Thus, until there is more evidence to support that Fluttershy continued to live in Cloudsdale for a period of time, I shall maintain my belief that she moved to Ponyville upon obtaining her Cutie Mark.

 

As stated the fall also implies something significant about her family, specifically that they simply didn't care about her at all. Or, if I may be allowed to speculate, she doesn't even have a family. I am sure I will eat these words should we meet her family in a later season, but I believe that Fluttershy grew up as an orphan, cared for in an orphanage along with many other Pegasi foals. Rather than having a caring mother and father, she had neglectful guardians who probably didn't care much about her one way or the other. That's not to say that she suffered actual abuse by them, at least not anything other than the abuse that comes about from neglect, but if they cared they would have been watching over her. She probably spent most of her foalhood alone and miserable, constantly picked on by others, with few if any friends save for Rainbow Dash, and even Rainbow Dash wasn't watching out for her when she fell. No wonder she lacks self-confidence in spades: what's incredible is that she has any self-confidence at all, that she isn't just hiding away in her shell all day long, afraid to even so much as whisper to another pony. Alternatively, it's also amazing that she didn't become a bitter, hateful pony who constantly lashes out at every other pony she meets. Why didn't this happen?

 

Well, I think it has a great deal to do with why she is the Element of Kindness. I believe that, like the rest of the Mane Six, Fluttershy was born to be the spirit of the Element of Kindness. It is central to her character, to her psyche. Instead of a hating, vengeful shell of a pony, she maintains a nearly unshakeable core of strength that allows her to maintain her kind attitude and ways throughout any circumstance, no matter how trying, no matter how horrible. She didn't quite develop this strength overnight, of course...she had to build on it, over time, especially as she became friends with the rest of the Mane Six, develop it she did, something she can rely on. She needed this strength if she were to survive. It has helped her meet challenge after challenge. Even Discord faltered against her ability to maintain kindness, forcing him to use magic to direct her into cruelty instead of succeeding with a few simple mind games as he did with the rest of the Mane Six. Fluttershy is not to be underestimated.

 

Her ability to speak with animals in a Doctor Doolittle like way is arguably a magical ability, one linked to her Element. Cutie Mark Chronicles suggests that she was unable to speak with animals prior to the Sonic Rainboom, the event that, as I will reveal in future analyses, unlocked not just her ability but the abilities of several others amongst the Mane Six as well. The animals of Equestria, like the animals of Earth, are in general not as intelligent as the sapient races. Thus in order to communicate with them the way Fluttershy does, the ability MUST be magical. It's an extension of her Element because her ability is something like a form of empathy...I imagine that, in addition her her animal communication, Fluttershy is able to, if not quite read other ponies emotions, then she is at least a bit better able to read them than others might, because she has so much empathy for others that she opens up her heart to them, letting them in, letting her see signs others might miss.

 

A few questions remain with my interpretation of the Cutie Mark Chronicles events, specifically about how Fluttershy was able to procure her cottage at such a young age--the oldest she could be is fourteen, after all--and what sort of job she really works at in Ponyville. I can't speak for the cottage but her job is fairly obvious: she's crucial for managing the wildlife in the area around Ponyville, and probably also runs a pet adoption center and an animal shelter on the side, possibly with a government stipend. After all, in Equestria, the wild animals are managed and cared at a level unthinkable on Earth, making Fluttershy's job quite a bit more important than it might seem initially. Hence the government stipend, as otherwise Fluttershy might not have the money to purchase food or pay her utility bills. As to how she got the job, I suspect it might've involved her apprenticing at first to the pony who used to hold the job, then taking over due to her superior communications skills.

 

In terms of her life and relationships with others prior to Twilight's arrival in Ponyville, Fluttershy most likely spent most of her time as a recluse. We can see what happens when she meets Twilight, after all: she's so quiet and demure that she can't even say her own name without squeaking it. I could easily see Fluttershy doing her utmost to stay away from everypony, only interacting socially as necessary and otherwise remaining by herself with her animal friends--meaning if she does run pet adoptions, it is a recent thing. As a result, she probably only knew the rest of the Mane Six briefly in passing, barely interacting with them at all apart from Rainbow Dash, who probably chose to move to Ponyville because of Fluttershy's presence. The only pony other than Rainbow Dash that she may have been friends with is Rarity, and that's only if she, as I once hypothesized, helped Rarity adopt Opalescence...if Opal was a feral kitten, or was rescued from being dumped by the side of the road or something, it could explain Opal's overly harsh behavior. But to be honest I think it's more likely that Opal was adopted elsewhere and that Rarity and Fluttershy had few, if any, ties to each other.

 

Putting Your Hoof Down revealed a side to Fluttershy that I honestly didn't think was really there, at least not in the way we saw it. I figured she would have repressed anger issues, but she had far more than I suspected. Her rant towards Rarity and Pinkie Pie is by far the most revealing aspect of that episode...within that one rant is the summation of how Fluttershy must feel in her daily life. Her job as an animal caretaker is important and crucial to Ponyville's success as a community, while, from her perspective, Rarity and Pinkie Pie contribute very little by comparison. Yet they get far more respect than she does. While hardly the largest issue in her life that causes her stress, it was definitely yet another nail in the coffin for poor Fluttershy's life. She never gets respect no matter what she does. She's treated like dirt. She's run roughshod. Even her own pet bunny doesn't want to obey her. She'd finally had enough, and she took out that anger on Rarity and Pinkie Pie especially because they represented everything that was wrong with how she was treated versus how she should be treated, at least at that one moment. Did she regret it immediately? Of course she did. As I said before, she has such a strong belief in Kindness that her actions in Putting Your Hoof Down were almost over the top ridiculousness...and yet, psychologically, they make sense.

 

After all, Fluttershy has proven she can snap. Her behavior at the Gala is indicative of that, a behavior that makes a great deal of sense to me when examined carefully. Fluttershy's only friends, apart from the rest of the Mane Six, were the animals she cared for. This has been proven again and again, especially in Hurricane Fluttershy where she not only sought them out to console her after her, but then actively recruited them into helping her train her wingpower. When no one else will be her friend, the animals are there, always...until the Gala. For whatever reason, she wasn't able to woo the animals at the Gala. There are many possible explanations, but the one I favor is drawn from a piece of fan fiction I read called The Best Night Ever, which was essentially a Groundhog Day style fic featuring Princess Blueblood. In it, it was explained that the animals in the Canterlot Gardens were abused, rescued from ponies who had harmed them across Equestria and even beyond Equestria, and thus the animals would have no reason to trust Fluttershy. Could Fluttershy have, in time, won them over? Of course she could have, but that's assuming she could have kept her patience. Consider how stressed out she was with recent events...she had, within a couple weeks, stolen the Princess' pet phoenix in an ill-advised attempt to treat her and became a fashion model forced into shows all over Equestria. For Fluttershy, the Gala was supposed to be a chance to finally relax, something she'd looked forward to all year, and suddenly here are the animals refusing to accept her? Her efforts at communication are met with naught but refusal, an endless frustration? They're refusing to love her? When she, like any person, craves love and affection?! It's no wonder she completely flipped out and lost it. All she wanted was them to love her. Her most infamous line, "YOU'RE GOING TO LOVE ME!" does not come from nowhere. It's not just the frustration of one night's failure. It is the outpouring of an entire LIFE of suffering and woe, a life lacking the love she so dearly craves.

 

So for Fluttershy, who is consistently trodden on, it can be beneficial to let out the anger once in a while. And while I still think that Putting Your Hoof Down handled the concept poorly, it still painted a portrayal of her psyche that makes sense when compared to all the preexisting evidence. And, given how she embarrassed herself in public through her various rantings during the events of that episode, it's no wonder she needed an additional confidence boost before she would be willing to help Rainbow Dash with the tornado.

 

Again, though, it's not that she's incapable of dealing with trouble when it comes knocking on her door. Fluttershy has shown time and again that if anyone can handle trouble without having to resort to violence, it's her. Her kind nature has allowed her to woo a Manticore and heal its paw, to force a FULL SIZED ADULT DRAGON into submission, talk a cockatrice into sparing her friends life WHILE BEING TURNED TO STONE, counter the Spirit of Chaos, and even tame CERBERUS HIMSELF. Her Stare is a useful tool in preventing violence from being required. In fact, I would go so far as to speculate the Stare is an extension of her empathy, that it functions by causing the creature being stared at to experience strong emotions related to the situation at hand, possibly a combination of the fear said creature is causing in others as well as the full force of her disappointment. She has also occasionally proven herself capable of tasks beyond her normal capabilities. For example, the harnessing of her anger to outrace Rainbow Dash while carting a whole balloon behind her, an extraordinarily impressive feat even if Rainbow Dash was, as I suspect, not racing at full strength.(Not just because of her carting two ponies behind her, but also for other reasons I will get into in the analysis on Rainbow Dash.)

 

All that said, I don't think Fluttershy would be very willing to engage in violence should the situation demand it. During the battle sequence of A Canterlot Wedding, Fluttershy didn't even strike back against the Changelings once--instead she cringed. (The Changeling still appeared to be beaten back anyway...somehow...maybe the force of adorableness? I kid.) That's not to say that I don't think she could kick some serious flank if she had to. I think she'd be perfectly capable of it. We've seen her take down a full size bear after all, and while that was technically her applying chiropractic medicine, I could easily see her integrating that sort of technique into a form of martial arts. If she ever did fight, though, Fluttershy would never kill. She would only fight to incapacitate, take down her foe with a minimum of fuss and probably a great many apologies to boot.

 

Since her first appearance in the pilot, Fluttershy has been emerging from her shell, showing off in public more and more, becoming friendlier, more outgoing, and generally more confident. One oddity still sticks out in my mind, however, and that's her seeking tail extensions in Ponyville Confidential. We know it's the truth because of how she reacts when it is revealed through the Gabby Gums column. The question is, why? Assuming that tail extensions are something akin to breast implants or some other form of plastic surgery--an interpretation that makes sense given that otherwise it wouldn't be a scandalous notion at all if it were like, say, hair extensions--Fluttershy may been feeling...inadequate. It would make sense, of course, given her overall lack of self-confidence. But it still strikes me as strange because it makes me wonder why she would try to make herself more visible or appear more attractive...Fluttershy, being the pony she is, doesn't much like to stand out in social situations. Is it possible she was trying to attract someone in particular? Given the events of Hurricane Fluttershy, it's enough to make me wonder if she wasn't trying to get Rainbow Dash's attention, attract Rainbow Dash to her. That's probably just the shipper in me talking and I'm seeing more into something than is really there, but it still leaves me wondering what her motivation was behind those tail extensions.

 

Overall, Fluttershy has far more depth than she might appear to have at first glance. She has plenty of sides to her personality, sides that may often be underplayed but that are definitely there when one looks at the evidence. She continue to grow as a character, a trend I would like to see continue in Season Three. I would especially like to learn more about her history, see how far off base my speculation about her family and her life in Cloudsdale are. Whatever happens to her in Season Three though, I just want to see her treated fairly. She is a character at everyone should respect, a character that deserves just as much love and affection as the rest.

Edited May 24, 2012 by Kyronea Tich

[HomuraBL 851]

Since her first appearance in the pilot, Fluttershy has been emerging from her shell, showing off in public more and more, becoming friendlier, more outgoing, and generally more confident. One oddity still sticks out in my mind, however, and that's her seeking tail extensions in Ponyville Confidential. We know it's the truth because of how she reacts when it is revealed through the Gabby Gums column. The question is, why? Assuming that tail extensions are something akin to breast implants or some other form of plastic surgery--an interpretation that makes sense given that otherwise it wouldn't be a scandalous notion at all if it were like, say, hair extensions--Fluttershy may been feeling...inadequate. It would make sense, of course, given her overall lack of self-confidence. But it still strikes me as strange because it makes me wonder why she would try to make herself more visible or appear more attractive...Fluttershy, being the pony she is, doesn't much like to stand out in social situations. Is it possible she was trying to attract someone in particular? Given the events of Hurricane Fluttershy, it's enough to make me wonder if she wasn't trying to get Rainbow Dash's attention, attract Rainbow Dash to her. That's probably just the shipper in me talking and I'm seeing more into something than is really there, but it still leaves me wondering what her motivation was behind those tail extensions.

 

 

 

Unfortunately, that is just the shipper in you talking...for a Flutterdash anyway. It could be a stallion. It wouldn't surprise me because me that much actually.

 

As for Fluttershy's character...On a scale of 6 to 1,( 6 being worst, 1 being best), fluttershy is 4th. I do love all the characters on the show, but it varies on how interesting and relatable they are.

 

The thing is...I'm not shy. I'm more of a lone wolf guy. I can talk to people no problem, however I prefer to be by myself for the most part.

 

Nice analysis btw.

Edited May 1, 2012 by RaccoonBL

[Skye Starlight 223]

As for Fluttershy's character...On a scale of 6 to 1,( 6 being worst, 1 being best), fluttershy is 4th. I do love all the characters on the show, but it varies on how interesting and relatable they are.

 

Fluttershy is actually 2nd in my book, but that's just because I was really shy until, like, 2 years ago (I'm 15, being shy is weird now). My favorite pony is Pinkie! It's because it's how I've come to be now! Random, fun loving and outgoing!

[Prince Lightning Da Cute 619]

This is the most complete muiti-complex evaluation of a single character. It's too long to read now, I'll have to paste this on a document and read it over the week but how long did it take you to type this?!

[Queen Cassie 3,057]

Unfortunately, that is just the shipper in you talking...for a Flutterdash anyway. It could be a stallion. It wouldn't surprise me because me that much actually.

 

As for Fluttershy's character...On a scale of 6 to 1,( 6 being worst, 1 being best), fluttershy is 4th. I do love all the characters on the show, but it varies on how interesting and relatable they are.

 

The thing is...I'm not shy. I'm more of a lone wolf guy. I can talk to people no problem, however I prefer to be by myself for the most part.

 

Nice analysis btw.

 

Oh I freely admit it could be for a specific stallion or stallions in general or for anyone else. I picked the Flutterdash ship specifically because I happen to really like that ship and I could twist certain aspects of canon to support my viewpoint, but I am well aware that said twisting would be just that: twisting, not actually stating it's truly canon or anything. Still, though, you have to admit, the tail extension thing IS odd considering everything else we know about Fluttershy.

 

This is the most complete muiti-complex evaluation of a single character. It's too long to read now, I'll have to paste this on a document and read it over the week but how long did it take you to type this?!

 

I think the original took maybe an hour? I rewrote the original from the bottom up, though a few choice phrases were snatched from it here and there, or at least reworded. This one took maybe four hours, but most of that was me hemming and hawing over my word choices. The actual analysis itself was already finished in my head.

[Jibbs93 64]

Great analysis, I really enjoyed reading it! The only thing I didn't agree with was the Flutterdash shipping scenario, but that's mainly because I'm slightly opposed to shipping as a whole. It hasn't really appealed to me yet.

 

Also, why do you think Fluttershy wasn't chosen as the leader of the animal team during Winter Wrap Up? I'm guessing it's due to her lacking leadership skills, but could the residents of Ponyville be underestimating her abilities as well?

[Slendermane 477]

 

Since her first appearance in the pilot, Fluttershy has been emerging from her shell, showing off in public more and more, becoming friendlier, more outgoing, and generally more confident. One oddity still sticks out in my mind, however, and that's her seeking tail extensions in Ponyville Confidential. We know it's the truth because of how she reacts when it is revealed through the Gabby Gums column. The question is, why? Assuming that tail extensions are something akin to breast implants or some other form of plastic surgery--an interpretation that makes sense given that otherwise it wouldn't be a scandalous notion at all if it were like, say, hair extensions--Fluttershy may been feeling...inadequate. It would make sense, of course, given her overall lack of self-confidence. But it still strikes me as strange because it makes me wonder why she would try to make herself more visible or appear more attractive...Fluttershy, being the pony she is, doesn't much like to stand out in social situations. Is it possible she was trying to attract someone in particular? Given the events of Hurricane Fluttershy, it's enough to make me wonder if she wasn't trying to get Rainbow Dash's attention, attract Rainbow Dash to her. That's probably just the shipper in me talking and I'm seeing more into something than is really there, but it still leaves me wondering what her motivation was behind those tail extensions.

 

It's possible that Photo Finish pressured her into getting extensions during her modeling career. She definitely seemed embarrassed when it was found out, so it is something she is not proud of (or it could just be Fluttershy overreacting.) It could be that she was trying to attract someone in particular, but I think it had to do with her time as a model.

 

Awesome analysis. I only have one problem with it. I don't think Fluttershy had ever really seen an animal before she fell to the surface. Animals probably don't have the Pegasus cloud walking ability, so besides birds flying by, she never had the opportunity to sit down and talk to an animal. We have no idea if she had that ability already, since she never had the opportunity to use it.

[Queen Cassie 3,057]

 

Also, why do you think Fluttershy wasn't chosen as the leader of the animal team during Winter Wrap Up? I'm guessing it's due to her lacking leadership skills, but could the residents of Ponyville be underestimating her abilities as well?

 

I think a great deal of it may have to do with Fluttershy refusing a leadership role. She's never been one to really seek out attention or be in charge, and yet...yet you may be onto something as well. It could be a combination of those factors.

 

It's possible that Photo Finish pressured her into getting extensions during her modeling career. She definitely seemed embarrassed when it was found out, so it is something she is not proud of (or it could just be Fluttershy overreacting.) It could be that she was trying to attract someone in particular, but I think it had to do with her time as a model.

 

You know I hadn't even considered that. I assumed the tail extensions were a recent thing, something she only did within the past couple of weeks prior to it being reported in the column, but it certainly could be something that she did during her time as a model. It makes a lot more sense actually, especially in terms of the shows canon.

 

Awesome analysis. I only have one problem with it. I don't think Fluttershy had ever really seen an animal before she fell to the surface. Animals probably don't have the Pegasus cloud walking ability, so besides birds flying by, she never had the opportunity to sit down and talk to an animal. We have no idea if she had that ability already, since she never had the opportunity to use it.

 

Except that they do have the Pegasi cloudwalking ability, at least those with wings. We see in May The Best Pet Win all of the various flighted animals landing on clouds at some point or another, at least during the song. Still, you're right: there's no way to know if she had the ability prior to the Sonic Rainboom or not...could've sworn I said that in the analysis too...

 

Oh wait, no I didn't. I did in my original but not in this revision. Silly me.

[Sugarcube 213]

Amazing! I really enjoyed reading it a lot!

[Radiance64 7,053]

Incredible analysis, a very interesting look at Fluttershy's personality. Well done, keep up the good work!

[Rion 4]

Interesting analysis! Keep up the good work~

[Akemi Homura 7,680]

Fluttershy's early foalhood was a tough one. I speculated before that she was an easy target for bullies, and as we have since learned through Hurricane Fluttershy, she definitely was bullied, and rather harshly at that. Her weak flying skills not only made it difficult for her to get around Cloudsdale, but also left her as easy prey for bullying even outside of just having the skills mocked, because she couldn't easily run away. I speculated before that this could lead to serious repressed anger issues, and as we saw in Putting Your Hoof Down that was clearly the case, but I shall touch on that later.

 

Great point, Kyro. I'm a decent Fluttershy fan, so I'll say something here in regards to fanworks.

 

One of MLP's greatest strengths is that you can easily write fanfics based on just some background information from a specific character, this show being driven by les caracteres, and all. As a result, the many "background stories" written on Fluttershy involve her at flight school and being bullied I even noticed a comic called "Dash Academy" where it involved not only Fluttershy but also Rainbow Dash and Gilda during their years at Junior Flight School. To get into details, I'm sure you all know who Dumbbell is, right? The pegasus pony who taunted Rainbow Dash in the episode "Sonic Rainboom"? Well, his bullying from his foalhood (when Rainbow Dash performed her first sonic rainboom) expanded onto flight academy (where RD and FS went to, as well as Gilda) and he and his friends made Fluttershy's life pretty much hell. In regards to Fluttershy's character itself, it was a lot similar to when she was first introduced in the series - shy and meek and not very assertive. Because of the bullying, she became even more self-conscious (clearly "soon" demonstrated in "Hurricane Fluttershy) and withdrawn.

 

Of course, this is merely a fanfic and not canon whatsoever, but the character-driven style of the show makes one believe that this actually did happen and why Fluttershy is the way she is. Similar past events were kind of brought up in Hurricane Fluttershy, as ponies mocked Fluttershy for not being able to fly, but it is quite true that because of her rather sad past she turned out to be meek and shy... and also her repressed feelings of anger and hostility about those who mocked her (fully brought out in Putting Your Hood Down) demonstrated just how any person can lash out at any time due to their struggles in the past if they were berated and degraded by those around them. In essence, they can become the bully themselves. In FS's case, it sheds a lot of light on real-world people who have been bullied constantly and end up doing bad things themselves, but of course in FS's case she was able to pull herself together and realize her rather notorious mistake.

 

A few questions remain with my interpretation of the Cutie Mark Chronicles events, specifically about how Fluttershy was able to procure her cottage at such a young age--the oldest she could be is fourteen, after all--and what sort of job she really works at in Ponyville. I can't speak for the cottage but her job is fairly obvious: she's crucial for managing the wildlife in the area around Ponyville, and probably also runs a pet adoption center and an animal shelter on the side, possibly with a government stipend. After all, in Equestria, the wild animals are managed and cared at a level unthinkable on Earth, making Fluttershy's job quite a bit more important than it might seem initially. Hence the government stipend, as otherwise Fluttershy might not have the money to purchase food or pay her utility bills. As to how she got the job, I suspect it might've involved her apprenticing at first to the pony who used to hold the job, then taking over due to her superior communications skills.

 

 

Just my two cents, but maybe Celestia knew that she was an Element of Harmony long before Twilight came to Ponyville and decided to act upon it by making the cottage for her? Of perhaps her excellent communication skills with animals worked to perfection in this case an together alongside the animals, they somehow managed to make the cottage... or maybe she performed an act of supreme kindness and as a result, the home owner of her cottage gave it to her for free (and went off somewhere else). That could work well as an episode, I'm assuming.

 

Then again, maybe Celestia's government gives everypony at least one place to stay when they're a certain age.

[MVC NVMXD JVRXD 2,406]

I'll be honest, I read like... a quarter of that. But from what I've read, it seems pretty "legit". Good work, Kyromaniac!

[Pizzly 57]

You should be a psychologist

[Proctra Music 335]

[Queen Cassie 3,057]

 

Just my two cents, but maybe Celestia knew that she was an Element of Harmony long before Twilight came to Ponyville and decided to act upon it by making the cottage for her? Of perhaps her excellent communication skills with animals worked to perfection in this case an together alongside the animals, they somehow managed to make the cottage... or maybe she performed an act of supreme kindness and as a result, the home owner of her cottage gave it to her for free (and went off somewhere else). That could work well as an episode, I'm assuming.

 

Then again, maybe Celestia's government gives everypony at least one place to stay when they're a certain age.

 

First half of your post was full of neat stuff but not anything I needed to address, so I only quoted what I want to respond specifically to.

 

As I've said elsewhere I'm very much a believer in the Chessmaster Celestia hypothesis. I think there's a good chance she was watching all of the Mane Six from a young age as the likely Elements of Harmony and may very well have manipulated events so that they all ended up in or already lived in Ponyville...since it is strange, after all, how the six most important ponies in Equestria all lived in one little village. So, is it possible the cottage was prepared for her/made conveniently vacant by Celestia? Certainly.

 

However, I find it more likely that the cottage was something she inherited from someone else, perhaps the pony she was apprenticed to, assuming she was apprenticed. If she moved into Ponyville at fourteen, she would still have been a bit too young to live on her own, so it might be she stayed with some ponies for a while and then either inherited the cottage for herself, or just outright had it built for her out closer to the woods. Something along those lines, essentially.

 

I could see the government mandating that everyone have shelter, but not necessarily their own house or something--that would probably be excessive given the likely population of Equestria. I figure Equestria has at least eighty million people in it, that population being mostly ponies but also a small amount of other races like the cows and sheep and minotaurs, donkeys, etc etc.

 

Though it's possible the cottage comes with the job...as in it's not specifically her cottage that she owns, but is merely the cottage of the animal caretaker, and if she ever gave up that job she wouldn't be able to keep living in the cottage anymore.

[Mr. Jaguar 1,403]

You, Kyronea, have successfully summarized every last bit of detail that makes Fluttershy the most interesting and greatest of the mane 6 in my eyes.

 

 

Well done.....well done.

Edited May 7, 2012 by Pegasus25

[ScarletDagger 88]

Fluttershy is my all time favorite pony. I'm like her in every way. Minus the weak flying cuz I can't fly. She's the main pony I can relate too. Outgoing with friends but in public, around strangers, or just my dad, I'm silent as a dead mouse. I can't stand talking to them. But being with my friends, I'm pinkie pie then.

 

Fluttershy is also extremely cute. Her shyness contribute greatly to it.

 

Her life of being made fun of, hurt, neglected, not many friends. That's perfectly in line with my life. I do have times when I need to let out my anger, and it can get out of hand. The stare I can do actually. But I need to talk with an aggressive tone though. The dogs obey.

 

I never get influenced by bad things though. People have constantly made fun of me and harassed me, but I'm still very nice, very comfortable to be around. I have friends now, but they're bronies XD. My sorta girlfriend is almost as big a brony as I am.

[x Fluttering 14]

That was such a good read

 

I can't help but feel bad for her though :/

[Iris Melody 90]

I completely agree with your theory on her background. I know the feeling. If your own parents/guardians don't love you, or it is painfully obvious that you aren't even worth their time (or any sort of caring/effort) then how can you possibly love yourself or believe that *others* could think you are worth something, too? Just be quiet, back away, don't be seen, and don't upset everyone else's life because you happen to exist, because that might be inconvenient. Scratch that - you have been taught/raised that your existence IS inconvenient.

 

Everyone who knows me irl says I'm like Fluttershy. I have ALWAYS had "the stare" though mine has been dubbed the "death glare." All those repressed emotions, since not verbally expressed, come screaming out my eyes - and can make even the scariest guy back away from me with nothing but a glare.

[Mr. Jaguar 1,403]

Fluttershy is my all time favorite pony. I'm like her in every way. Minus the weak flying cuz I can't fly. She's the main pony I can relate too. Outgoing with friends but in public, around strangers, or just my dad, I'm silent as a dead mouse. I can't stand talking to them. But being with my friends, I'm pinkie pie then.

 

Fluttershy is also extremely cute. Her shyness contribute greatly to it.

 

Her life of being made fun of, hurt, neglected, not many friends. That's perfectly in line with my life. I do have times when I need to let out my anger, and it can get out of hand. The stare I can do actually. But I need to talk with an aggressive tone though. The dogs obey.

 

I never get influenced by bad things though. People have constantly made fun of me and harassed me, but I'm still very nice, very comfortable to be around. I have friends now, but they're bronies XD. My sorta girlfriend is almost as big a brony as I am.

 

I'm similar, introverted towards most people (well, pretty much everyone) but friendly towards the people who are nice to me. I wasn't really bullied as a kid (I think I have an intimidating appearance, so I've been told), but I was definitely a loner, and I still am. I only had like one friend who would hang out with me after school at go to his house, my other friends would never let me. I found it easy to be outgoing with big groups of friends tho, but one friend and it was a battle to think of something to say, except for that one friend, he was almost always easy to talk to for some reason.

Edited May 12, 2012 by Pegasus25

[Espelancer 108]

I think that Fluttershy is afraid to express how she truly feels, mostly out of fear of being judged by others. The result is that she is constantly repressing her own emotions. However, Fluttershy often reaches a breaking point and we see her built up emotions completely burst out, whether positively or negatively. This is especially true in things that she is most passionate about. When she does finally snap, she becomes completely fixated on one thing, and when she is showing negative emotion, tends to take things entirely too far.

 

Some examples:

• In the first episode, Fluttershy is afraid to introduce herself to Twilight, however she becomes extremely excited when she has the opportunity to meet a talking baby dragon. She becomes so excited, in fact, that she completely forgets that Twilight is somepony she does not know and it allows them to become friends.

• In Sonic Rainboom, when Fluttershy tries to meet Rainbow Dash's expectations to cheer her on, her performance is rather meek. It's not that she doesn't want to support Rainbow Dash; I think she is afraid of what her friends (or even worse, bystanders) would think if she stood out as being too excited. However, when Rainbow Dash finally does succeed in performing her Sonic Rainboom, the joy she feels for her friend's accomplishment overcomes her shyness, and Fluttershy's cheers resonate throughout Cloudsdale Coliseum. She becomes so excited for RD, in fact, that she completely forgets that Rarity is falling to her death.

• At the gala, we see Fluttershy's frustration build up to a breaking point, as you mentioned. Obviously, caring for animals is her purpose in life, and the one thing that she is the most passionate about, so failing that would probably be the hardest thing for Fluttershy to deal with. I think Fluttershy has come to accept her shortcomings in her early life over time, as it takes an incredible amount of inner strength to maintain a kind and considerate attitude towards others (most of the time), even when she is being given a hard time, so it is no wonder that when she fails to woo the animals in the garden -- something that she is supposed to be good at -- her frustration builds and she becomes, well, a monster. I think her tough childhood caused her to repress her emotions whenever possible, but I think her snapping is the result of pent up feelings from the last instance that she expressed herself moreso than a life of pent up emotion -- she operates on a cycle so to speak.

• Obviously we have the assertiveness training given by Iron Will in season 2, where we see Fluttershy at her worst. We know from Sonic Rainboom that she has always wanted to be more assertive, and I think that is one of the reasons why she looks up to Rainbow Dash as one of her closest friends. In this instance, we see Fluttershy seeking outside help to deal with problems in her personal life, and as always, she takes things much too far. At first, she is excited that she is able to stand up to the gardener when he is overwatering her flowers. This excitement translates into confidence, and since she is so completely fixated on her assertive training, she thinks of nothing else. Her assertiveness soon turns into downright aggressiveness, and finally culminates in Fluttershy sending Rarity and Pinkie Pie crying. I don't think that she really meant what she said at all, but I think there is more to it than just a life of pent up anger. I think that it has been a long time since Fluttershy's emotions truly came out, and with the help of Iron Will, they came out in the most negative way possible.

• In Hurricane Fluttershy, we again see how fixated Fluttershy becomes when she finally does let loose. The entire episode, she was afraid of being judged by other ponies, but since Rainbow Dash is her best friend, she tries her hardest anyways. Once again, we see Fluttershy trying to tackle a personal problem head-on, and once again there are no other ponies involved in helping her face her fears. Although she comes up short in her training, she finds the inner courage to help out on the day that matters. Even though she is terrified of what the other ponies might think of her flying ability, she completely forgets about all of that and becomes completely fixated on trying her best, whether it is for Rainbow Dash who believes in her or for herself. She becomes so fixated, in fact, that she forgets to stop when the hurricane is all over.

[Vega 107]

Since her first appearance in the pilot' date=' Fluttershy has been emerging from her shell, showing off in public more and more, becoming friendlier, more outgoing, and generally more confident. One oddity still sticks out in my mind, however, and that's her seeking tail extensions in Ponyville Confidential. We know it's the truth because of how she reacts when it is revealed through the Gabby Gums column. The question is, why? Assuming that tail extensions are something akin to breast implants or some other form of plastic surgery--an interpretation that makes sense given that otherwise it wouldn't be a scandalous notion at all if it were like, say, hair extensions--Fluttershy may been feeling...inadequate. It would make sense, of course, given her overall lack of self-confidence. But it still strikes me as strange because it makes me wonder why she would try to make herself more visible or appear more attractive...Fluttershy, being the pony she is, doesn't much like to stand out in social situations. Is it possible she was trying to attract someone in particular? Given the events of Hurricane Fluttershy, it's enough to make me wonder if she wasn't trying to get Rainbow Dash's attention, attract Rainbow Dash to her. That's probably just the shipper in me talking and I'm seeing more into something than is really there, but it still leaves me wondering what her motivation was behind those tail extensions.[/quote']

In real life, people don't necessarily have plastic surgery done to attract others, but to improve their own self-confidence and self-image. Couldn't that be the case with Fluttershy?