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Is Starlight Glimmer Autistic? What proof is there? Let's Discuss


TheWhiteBowser

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Before GlimGlam was a thing the fandom was convinced Twilight was OCD or something. Those beliefs fell on deaf ears though. I still think Pinkie Pie is more likely to be ADHD than Twilight is to be OCD but that is a matter of opinion.

 

Recently however with the introduction of Starlight Glimmer people are beginning to point out characteristics of hers that are akin to someone with some form of autism. 

 

However such an assumption is too generalized. Autism isn't one thing. There are several different forms and mental inabilities autism takes. To say Starlight has autism would be uninformed as autism takes many forms itself. Anyone who has studied the illness or has it would know this.

 

So here I thought we would discuss what part of the autism spectrum Starlight falls under. 

autism-spectrum-conditions.jpg

 

Keep in mind though. There could be an argument that Starlight isn't autistic at all and her behavior is only a construct of her past mistakes and not some innate mental inability.

 

To be fair the latter argument could just as easily point out that because Starlight was a dictator or tyrant before proves that she doesn't have autism. Autistic people aren't usually known to be tyrannical their known to be moreso, introverted. As such an autistic person would likely frown on being a dictator and would rather spend time to themselves and their own interests. This is only my opinion. Feel free to prove me wrong.

 

As such we must remain open-minded when discussing this. I mean would it even be fair to assume Friendship is Magic would go the road of presenting us with an autistic character? Or are we just speculating?

 

So please let's talk below.

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I have every reason to believe Starlight is NOT autistic.

 

Part of being autistic implies some form of social anxiety and anti-social behavior.  Not only is Starlight overflowing with charisma, but she's also a natural leader.  There's also the lack of any sort of repetitive stereotyped behavior, an area of focus that she obsesses over, or any negative reaction to criticism.

 

The closest she comes to being autistic is her anxiety when dealing with friendships, but that has more to do with her own personal baggage than it does a mental disorder.  This was plain to see in the season finale, where she broke down when she was swarmed by all her former cult followers.

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I have seen nothing that suggests that Starlight is autistic to any degree at all.  However, people have a tendency to project, and to find characteristics in characters (particularly those that they like) in common with themselves.  If a person with autism chooses to see that part of themselves in a character and it makes them feel that the character in question is more relatable to them because of that, then sure, why not?  Myself, I don't see it, but that's just my interpretation of the character.

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Coming from an autistic person (not aspergers, just autism), no. Not only does she act like an NT in regards to success in socialization, she's very well recieved in her socialization skills and is above average. She doesn't seem to have any fixtations, either. The charactiristics that the show capitalizes on do not potray autism, even in it's most mild of forms.

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(edited)

I have every reason to believe Starlight is NOT autistic.

 

Part of being autistic implies some form of social anxiety and anti-social behavior.  Not only is Starlight overflowing with charisma, but she's also a natural leader.  There's also the lack of any sort of repetitive stereotyped behavior, an area of focus that she obsesses over, or any negative reaction to criticism.

 

The closest she comes to being autistic is her anxiety when dealing with friendships, but that has more to do with her own personal baggage than it does a mental disorder.  This was plain to see in the season finale, where she broke down when she was swarmed by all her former cult followers.

 

There have been times during this season where Starlight did show social anxiety. However, in contrast Starlight is not anti-social. You see this is where the conflict is. One could argue her anxiety is only a construct of knowing her past and the mistakes she's made. Unlike one with autism Starlight is very social, she freely expresses herself towards others, even to the point of trying to control them. Also I would argue that Starlight is not a leader. She still has a lot of growing to do in that regard.

 

However, Starlight excelling in magic beyond any other unicorn is alike to one with autism as, some people on the higher end of the autistic spectrum are known to have extreme ability in some areas.

Edited by TheWhiteBowser
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However, Starlight excelling in magic beyond any other unicorn is alike to one with autism as, some people on the higher end of the autistic spectrum are known to have extreme ability in some areas.

Savancy is not limited to autism.

 

In fact, it is very rare for females to possess this trait.

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However, Starlight excelling in magic beyond any other unicorn is alike to one with autism as, some people on the higher end of the autistic spectrum are known to have extreme ability in some areas.

 

Intelligence is not the mark of someone with autism, though.  Everyone's brain is wired slightly differently, and just because someone has an exceptional ability in a certain field doesn't mean they have to be autistic.

 

Savancy is not limited to autism.

 

In fact, it is very rare for females to possess this trait.

 

Took the words right out of my mouth.

 

I've also heard of that, too.  However, one of my grandmother's neighbor's daughters has aspergers.  I can't say if she's a savant, but she is special needs.

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Intelligence is not the mark of someone with autism, though.  Everyone's brain is wired slightly differently, and just because someone has an exceptional ability in a certain field doesn't mean they have to be autistic.

 

I've also heard of that, too.  However, one of my grandmother's neighbor's daughters has aspergers.  I can't say if she's a savant, but she is special needs.

 

Interestingly enough. I do indeed have asperger's and am on the higher end of the autism spectrum. I do have a creative imagination for art far beyond a lot of my peers. I guess I could be savant in that regard but I'm not going to boast.

 

I still have reason to believe though that Starlight isn't autistic though because there is a specific thing she hasn't expressed. One very highly regarded thing people with asperger's or autism don't notice are social cues. I myself always have trouble recognizing social cues. If someone gives me a distasteful scorn I will sooner ask what's wrong with them rather than asking myself what I did wrong.

 

If we take the example of the episode "The Times are a Changeling" in the beginning of the episode, Twilight scorns at Starlight for what she said about Flurry Heart. Now someone with autism would be more akin to ignore the scorn and just say "What?" rather than apologize and say "Sorry I know you're excited to see your niece"

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Starlight doesn't have any kind of social hindrance, she was just afraid to be a leader due to her past actions. Although, this could be an explanation to her insane magical abilities. Hell, it is a better explanation than what the show has given us, which is nothing.

 

I don't think she is on the spectrum though, there just isn't anything else that adds up to it. It doesn't equate.

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I don't think she's autistic, but I think it's likely Starlight has some sort of condition. I'd lean towards schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, perhaps even some form of histrionic or narcissistic personality disorder.

 

I have to disagree with all of those.

 

  • Schizophrenia entails a complete psychological disconnect with objective reality.  Starlight functions too well for that to be a probability.
  • Neither does she show intense mood swings from manic to depressive episodes that are indicative of BPD.
  • While Rarity is a perfect example of histrionics, Starlight is not.
  • I would have considered it possible back when she was still evil, but not anymore.  Narcissists will blame everybody else before themselves, and Starlight takes full responsibility for what she did to the point that she can't stop beating herself up over it.

If I was to assign a mental condition to her, it would be paranoia.  She constantly lives with the fear that other ponies are talking behind her back and are only putting up with her just so they can humiliate her at a later date.

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I don't think she's autistic, but I think it's likely Starlight has some sort of condition. I'd lean towards schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, perhaps even some form of histrionic or narcissistic personality disorder.

 I can assure you from person experience Starlight is definitely not bipolar and she is definitely not schizophrenic.

Schizophrenia has much more to do with mental hallucinations and multiple personalities. And Bipolar disorder is someone who often has no control over their emotions, aka they get angry/happy/sad very easily. They have erractic behavior. Starlight's behavior is not erractic. 

 

Now narcissistic personality disorder. Maybe... I'll give you that. Though I kind of doubt it honestly.

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If I was to assign a mental condition to her, it would be paranoia.  She constantly lives with the fear that other ponies are talking behind her back and are only putting up with her just so they can humiliate her at a later date.

Now narcissistic personality disorder. Maybe... I'll give you that. Though I kind of doubt it honestly.

Starlight's probably got some combination of narcissistic and paranoid personality disorder.

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As people who have Asperger's, Luffyiscool and Jhonnyfireflame got to that conclusion as well after watching Every Little Thing That She Does. I can see why, I have it too and that episode was extremely relatable in a lot of ways, mostly because you feel smart for very specific things but dumb for even the most mundane of acts, and of course that causes you some social anxiety.

 

Anyway, I don't think she has autism. I don't really see an autistic person having that cult leader charisma she displayed in The Cutie Map, and her social ineptitude isn't necessarily because she has a condition, she grew up friendless after all. It also could be argued that her special interest is magic, but that's more a gift that something she's really passionate about. She's just a deeply troubled pony, but ultimately "normal".

Edited by Baykush
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Anyway, I don't think she has autism. I don't really see an autistic person having that cult leader charisma she displayed in The Cutie Map, and her social ineptitude isn't necessarily because she has a condition, she grew up friendless after all. It also could be argued that her special interest is magic, but that's more a gift that something she's really passionate about. She's just a deeply troubled pony, but ultimately "normal".

Her charisma and ability/willingness to manipulate others would lend credence to my theory Starlight's got some form of narcissistic personality disorder.

Edited by Silvestra Spooner
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As people who have Asperger's, Luffyiscool and Jhonnyfireflame got to that conclusion as well after watching Every Little Thing That She Does. I can see why, I have it too and that episode was extremely relatable in a lot of ways, mostly because you feel smart for very specific things but dumb for even the most mundane of acts, and of course that causes you some social anxiety.

 

Anyway, I don't think she has autism. I don't really see an autistic person having that cult leader charisma she displayed in The Cutie Map, and her social ineptitude isn't necessarily because she has a condition, she grew up friendless after all. It also could be argued that her special interest is magic, but that's more a gift that something she's really passionate about. She's just a deeply troubled pony, but ultimately "normal".

I have to to agree. I have asperger's myself as well. The biggest reason why I don't think Starlight is autistic is because she recognizes social cues (i.e. when someone scorns her with a distasteful expression). One of the biggest traits about autism or asperger's in general is we have a hard time recognizing social cues. Like when our friends are upset with us we would sooner ask what's wrong with them rather than asking ourselves what we did wrong.

Starlight is not at all autistic.  She does seem to fit the definition of a sociopath though. 

You really need to look up the definition of sociopath. I'm sorry but Starlight is far from a sociopath. She expresses remorse for her actions and has evolved as a character into a much more likable and caring one. 

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You really need to look up the definition of sociopath. I'm sorry but Starlight is far from a sociopath. She expresses remorse for her actions and has evolved as a character into a much more likable and caring one.

 

There have been studies that suggest that some sociopaths are either able to 'turn on' empathy at will, or at least emulate such behaviour convincingly.

 

The fact that even as recently as 'Every little thing she does' Starlight still thought that it was perfectly acceptable to mind control her friends and saw no issue with doing so certainly suggests that she has a fundamental lack of understanding of morality, and struggles to tell right from wrong.  That is indeed a characteristic often associated with sociopathy.  Not that it means she is one by any means, but while we're chucking around every single psychological and psychiatric disorder that she may have, we might as well keep this one in the mix, it's as likely as any of the others that have been mentioned.

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Her charisma and ability/willingness to manipulate others would lend credence to my theory Starlight's got some form of narcissistic personality disorder.

 

I'm don't know. A narcissist is someone whose main motivation is to be admired by others, and I don't see that among her prominent traits. She does like to brag about her magical abilities, but that's it.

 

 

I have to to agree. I have asperger's myself as well. The biggest reason why I don't think Starlight is autistic is because she recognizes social cues (i.e. when someone scorns her with a distasteful expression). One of the biggest traits about autism or asperger's in general is we have a hard time recognizing social cues. Like when our friends are upset with us we would sooner ask what's wrong with them rather than asking ourselves what we did wrong.

 

Yeah, she doesn't have any trouble reading social cues, and the way she reacts to situations isn't exactly odd, perhaps sometimes a little exaggerated, but nothing that feels "inappropriate". People with autism tend to react in ways that don't seem to correspond to the situation or the emotion they're experiencing, which makes it hard to read what's exactly going on in their minds. In that sense Pinkie Pie would be more autistic than Starlight herself.

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(edited)

I know we're speculating here but I would still like us to make educated and thoughtful guesses. I don't want this thread to devolve into meaningless conspiracy theories or random fetishes. I want a constructive conversation. And I know that's counterintuitive because we're on the internet and all. :P

 

 

There have been studies that suggest that some sociopaths are either able to 'turn on' empathy at will, or at least emulate such behaviour convincingly.

 

The fact that even as recently as 'Every little thing she does' Starlight still thought that it was perfectly acceptable to mind control her friends and saw no issue with doing so certainly suggests that she has a fundamental lack of understanding of morality, and struggles to tell right from wrong.  That is indeed a characteristic often associated with sociopathy.  Not that it means she is one by any means, but while we're chucking around every single psychological and psychiatric disorder that she may have, we might as well keep this one in the mix, it's as likely as any of the others that have been mentioned.

 
Edited by TheWhiteBowser
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I love Starlight Glimmer very much, and what I noticed about her is that she shared many characteristics to me. She is socially awkward, a perfectionist, and has acute interests in things.

 

This leads me to believe she has it on a similar level as I am. (Sorry, I don't feel comfortable enough to say where I am on the spectrum, but nothing major). This is one of the reasons I love her, she tries to be sweet but doesn't always know what to do even on simple situations

 

There is a possibility of her not having any type of autism, but in my opinion she does on the same or similar level as I.

 

Could it also be because of her past actions actions against others to make her nervous and not something she had for a while? I actually think that she always had it, shown when she was upset that Sunburst left her. Most people would have a large group of friends easily made, and while they may be sad that one of them is leaving, it wouldn't bother them the way it had young Starlight Glimmer.

 

When Sunburst left her she was alone, with no one else to go to. People with that type of autism have only a few friends if any, and the ones they have they are close with. Starlight couldn't handle that, and didn't have anyone else. I believe that she has had autism from a young age because of that.

 

For her becoming a leader, since that isn't typical behavior of someone with autism, first of all she was a terrible leader (sorry Glimmy). She obviously did not understand why what she was doing was wrong, and when she was stopped, she ran off with shame and guilt.

 

Since she had no friends she resorted to attacking Twilight, which resulted in her becoming friends with her and the mane 6. She has still become awkward, and not just in was that could have been caused by the Town. (which I proved she was like this as a cute filly)

 

I think Starlight is a sweet pony, with good intentions (except for the Town and Map), but has social issues from autism.

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As someone who has Asperger's Syndrome and anxiety disorder, this is an interesting topic that has actually crossed my mind a few times when thinking about Starlight. Since the Season 5 finale, I've always believed that she had some kind of mental disorder. I noticed when watching her childhood flashback in that episode that when Sunburst suddenly left, she didn't understand why and couldn't process it very well. Then there's also the way she wanted revenge on Twilight for taking away her idealised but unethically acquired town and society, and the consequences her actions were having on Equestria just weren't getting through to her. This led me to believe that Starlight doesn't cope well with change, and I know a lot of people don't like change, but in Starlight's case, she clearly really hates it and struggles to adapt to it. Based on both my own experiences and those of others I have known with Asperger's, that is a very common symptom. It's why I'm one of the seemingly few people who didn't have a problem with how the Season 5 finale was resolved in the way it was. It didn't make her actions in that episode excusable, but it made me see her as someone who never intended to become pure evil, but rather someone who went off the rails and never had the guidance she really needed to get back on track. She needed help to rehabiliate herself, not punishment. She also shows symptoms of severe anxiety during her Season 6 appearances, notably with fears of failure and facing ponies and situations that bring back memories of her past. 

 

With all these symptoms, I would say that Starlight does have a mental disorder, but I won't necessarily say it's one on the autistic spectrum. I certainly wouldn't rule it out, but the autistic spectrum is an extremely complex subject and every person's case is a little different, so I wouldn't want to put a conclusive label on it.

Edited by Golden Star
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As much as I like the idea of Starlight being autistic, I don't think it quite fits. Namely because she went from an extremely charismatic and confident town leader to a socially awkward pony with a guilt complex. These two sides are pretty different from each other, but while her newer side may be vaguely autistic in some regards, her old side was not. That said, Every Little Thing She Does does seem pretty autistic, what with her tunnel visioning the friendship lessons and not realizing what she did wrong at first.

That aside though, she honestly strikes me as having a decent degree of social anxiety or even social anxiety disorder (SAD). Since social anxiety can develop over time, this was likely triggered by her past. .Some symptoms of social anxiety match up very well with her behavior.

  • Social anxiety can be triggered by something like starting conversations, especially with strangers. Starlight seems to have problems with this, even being afraid of getting personal with the Mane 6.
  • Rapid speech, sweating, panic attacks, kinda like her freakout in The Crystalling when she thought the princesses wouldn't accept Sunburst's help.
  • Strong fear of judgement/criticism, similar to how afraid she is of how people will react to her past. A natural reaction, maybe, but one could argue her fears go beyond what a normal person might feel.
  • Feeling faint, like what happened when Twilight suggested re-meeting Sunburst. Not a very typical reaction to making up with an old friends, imo.
  • Avoiding social situations or staying only in "safe" places. Her constant temptations to control others into behaving as she wants could be a product of this feeling.

That said, she does not show signs of trying to distract others from how she behaves, she does not apologize or ask for assurance excessively (so far as I can remember right now), nor painstakingly prepare herself for social interactions (like, say, Twilight). So she may not have SAD, only have a mild level of social anxiety.

Which doesn't mean much, as lots of people feel social anxiety to a degree at some point in their lives, and only suffer some of its symptoms. Starlight may be the same way largely because of her past mistakes.
 

Edited by PonyMage
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