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Is MLP's friendship message misguided?


Nightfall Veilwing

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As we're told by our parents and teachers, and by MLP, friendship is an important part of our lives, and it is. But the way the show executes this

philosophy, it's done more like an indoctrination tactic than letting friendships. But it is really?

The show's philosophy of "friendship is magic" is based on our fear of loneliness and vulnerability of the real world's unforgiving and and unpredictable atmosphere. In the show, the idea of friendship is executed more like a religion than what friendship is supposed to be: an emotional crutch. The ponies seem to believe that you're a bad person if you're not friends with literally everypony within your sight's range, and even if you're friends with soempony(s), you're considered to be a weirdo if you don't have the same way of thinking as everypony else around you. The goal of these ponies appear to be make as many friends as possible, not because friendship is a nice thing to have, but it's a way to control others' harmful and unpredictable impulses so that their guards will be lowered and you don't have to worry about threats and dangers that they could pose to you. Friendship, in the show's definition, is a comfort zone that demands you stay within at all costs, and making more friendship is a survival mechanism that strengthens is in order to provide the illusion of security against the many threats, dangers, and the unknowns of the real world that's beyond our comfort zone.

All of this may seem like friendship is a selfish thing, but it's really a survival mechanism that shows that we're not alone, not just in the world around us, but in the problems that every one us have in our lives. Friendship is a way for us to share our ideas and dreams with others, and, in turn, can help us learn understand more about ourselves and make us a better person than before. It's all in the name of survival and evolving fore the future.

That's my take on it. What's yours? :P

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I think PTerry said it more eloquently than I ever could -

Quote

HUMANS NEED FANTASY TO BE HUMAN. TO BE THE PLACE WHERE THE FALLING ANGEL MEETS THE RISING APE.

'Tooth fairies? Hogfathers? Little-'

YES. AS PRACTICE. YOU HAVE TO START OUT LEARNING TO BELIEVE THE LITTLE LIES.

'So we can believe the big ones?'

YES. JUSTICE. MERCY. DUTY. THAT SORT OF THING.

'They're not the same at all!'

YOU THINK SO? THEN TAKE THE UNIVERSE AND GRIND IT DOWN TO THE FINEST POWDER AND SIEVE IT THROUGH THE FINEST SIEVE AND THEN SHOW ME ONE ATOM OF JUSTICE, ONE MOLECULE OF MERCY. AND YET-- Death waved a hand. AND YET YOU ACT AS IF THERE IS SOME IDEAL ORDER IN THE WORLD, AS IF THERE IS SOME... SOME RIGHTNESS IN THE UNIVERSE BY WHICH IT MAY BE JUDGED.

'Yes, but people have got to believe that, or what's the point---'

MY POINT EXACTLY.

 

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(edited)

Friendship sells toys brudda. Why do you think its a massive trope in anime, it spreads through word of mouth quite readily, its a tactic. And oh, you don't like ponies, what a weirdo. Lets all be friends, our friends buy mlp shirts and buttons and plushes and toasters and butter and toast, if you don't buy all that mlp stuff you are a normie. Oh no I stand out I feel too much like a not cohesive unit with my pals, time to spread the cheer and empty my wallet.

*!*Warning, spontaneous crackfic*!*

 

HASBRO the evil megacorporation of the world laughs maniacally. *Dr Evil of Hasbro petting a pony plushie like its his cat with Luna glued to a model of the moon* "We are holding her hostage til we sell... One million ponies." He excitedly holds his pinkie finger to his mouth (mommy I did it!) Random OC holds up sign saying we already sold more than that many.

"We already sold over one million?" Pony facehoofs and nods.

"One billion ponies!" *holds moonbutt hostage, laughs maniacally, pets FlufflePuff*

Celestia stands up to tyranny. Then sits down and has tea with them and shares embarrassing Twilight stories.

Twilight steps in, is stuck between being weirded out embarrassed and outraged. Eventually caves in to Celestia and justifies her decisions.

Mane 6 shows up. 'Sparkle Sparkle Sparkle!'

*explosion, the end*

 

But yeah I Twilight is more like a preacher than um. A friend to all. I saw a video someplace that got me to notice this but forget which. But what we do not see, to be fair, is their love for each other sometimes. Its kinda implied but not always presented well. She is basically just finding more n more technical reasons why friends are good, which, if Twilight is impaired due to overly structured lifestyle its kind of evident. Which is humorous in a way, and can be seen as sweet. But with exposition it comes across weird, and that might be the whole issue, the exposition for the younger audience.

In which case, brainwashing the younger audience with exposition? How terrible! lol.

But actually yeah, people have anxiety when they realize they are alone and don't cope with it well, and its practically expected loners should not be cognitively healthy. Look at Moon Dancer for example. So yeah, why would they market to a loner and earn 1x, when they can market to someone who gets their friends in on their stuff is 9x, its just better.

Like imagine a series Edginess is Magic. How much people would tell their friends to watch that show, and how many of them would proudly display they love the show? They don't because edgy people are bitter, and therefore less open to displaying their love or pride with others, thus gets less people to enjoy the material. Like if Dead Pool were too edgy to let others know he has a hello kitty backpack, he would be a closet kitty. A closet edgy brony lol.

 

I know my explanation is weird, but eh its funnier that way.

Edited by CuriUndersXeno
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My take?

You are way over thinking this. It is a cartoon show. About characters that like each other and see friendship as pretty valuable... a staple of many kids cartoons shows from the 60's and onward. It is not misguided or filled with some hidden agenda... it is just a simple message and value that has been passed down through many different shows. This one just throws it in the title.

Also, not sure what cartoon you are watching but half of that stuff is not even factual but more like assumptions based upon some personal experiences or something. It is a cartoon about Ponies... that like making friends, not the X-Files.

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A dualistic perception of friendship.

There's frequency of perception, enlightened and dark. Duality.

Dark perception is divisive and judgmental. Driven by the surface of reality, it can't perceive within the intrinsic beauty of all being. It's ignorant and reduced. It's conditioned by fear.

Enlightened is compassionate, allowing and understanding, it knows the beauty in all things, as the experience of unconditional love. It's wise and expansive. It is united by love.

Our solar system, for example, is located far from the the central sun of milky way. This is represented as darkness, the dark age, a dividing ignorance throughout human history, and the resulting conflicts thereof.

Light is an estate of information, light is the frequency at which the substance of information vibrates. From a scientific view, you have an electromagnetic spectrum from radio waves to gamma rays.

Radio waves are slow, while gamma rays are fast. This means gamma associates with light, the perception of which I spoke of, is the resultant of higher vibration. Which means the enlightened consciousness, which can see beyond the apparent atomic configuration of reality.

Meaning you'll see someone coming after you, knife in hand. And you'll say "Brother" with open arms.

It's difficult for me to explain it with worldly reference, since our consciousness has barely begun the process of growth. Given our distance from the center of the galaxy.

Yet, all holds purpose. Within the intricacy of reality, all factors move one another as to evolve our consciousness. Meaning fear is also a teaching factor, resulting from the interaction between light and dark.

So I don't necessarily perceive it as a negative trait of the show. As consciousness is a variable, the absence thereof can often result in the unbalance, or even destruction of "opposite" polarities. Which are basically energetic configurations of the same particle.

On higher states of being, consciousness is able to recognize that everything is an aspect of its own being. Therefore, all circumstance is experienced as an opportunity for integration, rather than something subjectified and isolated by the rational, as alien or, in other words, outside one. "This is wrong, this is right, so and so"

This is why I can't answer your question, at least not honestly, without simply saying mlp is a configuration of reality, still in development.

Your perception is understandable, nonetheless. Duality can make things look as bad, or incorrect. Yet, there's purpose in the polarizing effect of our current reality.

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For a show about friendship, I feel the constant villain reformations make the whole concept feel pretty cheap and lose a lot of meaning, when it is just thrown out like candy.

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On 6/18/2017 at 5:30 PM, GrimGrimoire said:

My take?

You are way over thinking this. It is a cartoon show. About characters that like each other and see friendship as pretty valuable... a staple of many kids cartoons shows from the 60's and onward. It is not misguided or filled with some hidden agenda... it is just a simple message and value that has been passed down through many different shows. This one just throws it in the title.

Also, not sure what cartoon you are watching but half of that stuff is not even factual but more like assumptions based upon some personal experiences or something. It is a cartoon about Ponies... that like making friends, not the X-Files.

I agree. Besides, having friends is a good thing. Some may not want as many, but any amount of the right friends is fine.

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  • 1 month later...
On ‎6‎/‎18‎/‎2017 at 10:06 PM, They call me Loyalty said:

A dualistic perception of friendship.

There's frequency of perception, enlightened and dark. Duality.

Dark perception is divisive and judgmental. Driven by the surface of reality, it can't perceive within the intrinsic beauty of all being. It's ignorant and reduced. It's conditioned by fear.

Enlightened is compassionate, allowing and understanding, it knows the beauty in all things, as the experience of unconditional love. It's wise and expansive. It is united by love.

Our solar system, for example, is located far from the the central sun of milky way. This is represented as darkness, the dark age, a dividing ignorance throughout human history, and the resulting conflicts thereof.

Light is an estate of information, light is the frequency at which the substance of information vibrates. From a scientific view, you have an electromagnetic spectrum from radio waves to gamma rays.

Radio waves are slow, while gamma rays are fast. This means gamma associates with light, the perception of which I spoke of, is the resultant of higher vibration. Which means the enlightened consciousness, which can see beyond the apparent atomic configuration of reality.

Meaning you'll see someone coming after you, knife in hand. And you'll say "Brother" with open arms.

It's difficult for me to explain it with worldly reference, since our consciousness has barely begun the process of growth. Given our distance from the center of the galaxy.

Yet, all holds purpose. Within the intricacy of reality, all factors move one another as to evolve our consciousness. Meaning fear is also a teaching factor, resulting from the interaction between light and dark.

So I don't necessarily perceive it as a negative trait of the show. As consciousness is a variable, the absence thereof can often result in the unbalance, or even destruction of "opposite" polarities. Which are basically energetic configurations of the same particle.

On higher states of being, consciousness is able to recognize that everything is an aspect of its own being. Therefore, all circumstance is experienced as an opportunity for integration, rather than something subjectified and isolated by the rational, as alien or, in other words, outside one. "This is wrong, this is right, so and so"

This is why I can't answer your question, at least not honestly, without simply saying mlp is a configuration of reality, still in development.

Your perception is understandable, nonetheless. Duality can make things look as bad, or incorrect. Yet, there's purpose in the polarizing effect of our current reality.

In a brighter region with life flourishing there would be far more death as well. So this dark natural symbology of our universe isn't entirely so. Why do you use flowery language instead of precise language? It seems you make alot of assumptions. For instance, with more light closer to the center of the universe, there is also more gravity so life is more rare because planets tend to have more matter, so the life that does exist flourishes due to extra energy, but then that means growth is faster so it can result in faster and more frequent competition which results in more deaths which results in shorter life expectancy which results in Smaller Brains and Consciousnesses.

 

Being closer to the center of the galaxy has no bearing on development of consciousness.

In fact its easier to develop consciousness from the outside looking in, so you surround the information, it doesn't surround you. Like looking at a map, compared to being in a map. One has more data access than the other. Its not absolute, but what you are saying is very presumptuous.

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I don't think they're really trying to go REALLY DEEP into the friendship philosophy. 
Don't think it's "misguided" though, some of the lessons are pretty viable sometimes:D

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