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The Psychology of Twilight Sparkle, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy and Rarity


Celebrei

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This was very good reasoning and I agree with most of it but while I agree with Rarity being a bit narcissistic, it really isn't as much as it appears and most of that, if we stop and think, comes from external influences.

 

I've always said that out of all characters, Rarity has two sides to her personality. There's the External. This is the one that everyone sees, which is where the narcissism lies in the over the top, self absorbed, drama queen.

 

But theres an internal side to Rarity that she doesn't like to show and its hard to pick up on. This is the part of her that comes out when push comes to shove she will do the right thing.

 

If we look at Rarity as a whole.she mearly wants to better herself but yes, she can be a bit narcisso-manipulative when it comes to getting what she wants... *but then, what woman isn't*cough*hack*...*sorry did I write that out loud.

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As someone with ADD myself, I would disagree entirely with the idea of Pinkie Pie having it. Just because she is hyperactive and excited doesn't mean she has ADHD. One of the main components of ADD/ADHD is that it is a problem. Pinkie Pie has no difficulties with focusing if she wants to and is in fact very attentive and observant. I would consider the diagnosis if she constantly missed what other ponies were saying, often did things that she didn't mean to without thinking, or even seemed mildly annoyed at her "Ooh shiny!" tendencies, but the only time that Pinkie actually seemed to have signs of ADHD was as an inaccurate clone of herself. 

 

In fact, if I had to diagnose any member of the Mane 6 with ADD/ADHD (which I wouldn't), it'd be Twilight Sparkle. She's got that hyperfocus thing down pat!

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I think Twilight Sparkle is more of a serious, focused, and intellectual person at times. But she tends to be a little too focused on little things that can be solved very quickly without logic needed. Especially if she failed a test, she would study for 10 nights a day just to pass the test with a 100% and not be tardy!

 

Pinkie Pie is just very hyperactive and very focused when you try to get her attention at times. As for Fluttershy, she is more of a introvert and tends to stay inside her cottage to care for her animals. Rarity, when she is on the depth of failure she will definitely do the best that she can possible do to finish any goals that she needs for her boutique, her friends, and her sister.

 

Twilight Sparkle definitely has the ADD/ADHD thing going on! :o

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What about Rainbow Dash? Don't tell me that she's more perfect than Rarity?

 

There must be something that you can diagnose her of, I think.......

 

Not being diagnosed with a mental disorder ≠ having less personality flaws. This post comes across as rather insulting, actually; why should being free of mental disorders make somebody "better"? That's like saying that having a broken leg makes you lazy because you can't run. 

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It's an interesting discussion, but one must be very careful about self diagnosing or diagnosing another person, even a fictional one. Also you can never underestimate creative license or how many cliches, or stereotypes, writers use that we readily buy into. However, I think the OP is correct overall. I think Fluttershy is the most interesting psychologically due to her well documented mood swings e.g. Flutterrage. Yet we have few details on what caused her to be as she is.

Edited by Nature Spell
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Psychology...yay. I personally want to study psycholog, and I really like to see thinks like this.

Very interesting post, but from what I have seen in books and talk with psychologist i think there could be more info in this post. Still very nice.   

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@@Stellafera, sorry, I don't mean to say that being not diagnosed with anything equals to being better. Yeah, I did say the word perfect but perfection itself is actually something that is quite impossible to achieve and so, making perfection as something that only those who are psychologically imbalanced would try to achieve with the mindset that perfection is everything where actually it's not everything in life.

 

Now, speaking about Fluttershy..... don't you think she's.......... having bipolar disorder? To switch from a calm and passive side to a raging and aggressive side?

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I've just recently become a Brony myself, and from watching all the episodes of MLP season 1 and 2, I have come to notice the psychological makeup of these four ponies: Twilight Sparkle, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy and Rarity.

 

 

Twilight Sparkle: She seems to have a mild form of Asperger's Syndrome, she never truly sought friendship until Princess Celestia's advice, her socialization skills were learned in Ponyville, though imperfectly as she seems to prioritize organization and self-study over socialization, that's not to say that she does not care for her fellow ponies, it's just that her personality and interests are more Aspergian than anything else, she also tends to over analyze situations and meticulously explain simple facts. She also panics when things don't go as planned.

 

Pinkie Pie: She seems to have some form of ADHD and Neurosis, she's hyperactive and her endorphines are way off the charts, always cheerful and happy and she gets excited over the simplest things.

 

Fluttershy: Textbook case of Social Anxiety Disorder, while Twilight Sparkle exhibits more Asperger traits with her literal thinking, organizational commitment and esoteric interests, Fluttershy exhibits more of a Social Anxiety Disorder personality, with her extreme shyness towards other ponies and her fixation on little animals to vent off her feelings of inadequacy and insecurity from other ponies.

 

 

Rarity: Narcissism, She is a good-hearted pony deep inside but she tends to place too much value on physical beauty, she sees herself as very beautiful and has fantasies on joining the Pony Elite of Equestria, most of her lines on the show tends to emphasize aesthetic beauty over everything else.

Maybe, the ponies are just exaggerated forms of the people who relate to this show? I know i used to be a complete jock, that sometimes came off as a d-bag (rainbow dash), however, i didn't like her at first because i saw to much of my past self in her (that improved in the s2 egghead episode... EPIC episode btw), but she later became my 2nd favorite.

 

The funny thing is, i can't really relate to Fluttershy... i'm not conflicted with social situations, however, she is my favorite character...

 

However, i think everyone sees a bit of themselves in each character, and that little bit is over exaggerated, in a good way.

 

CUTE PIC INC. 

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Rainbow Dash could easily be ADHD.

 

Twilight's OCD is practically canon.

 

Rarity's probably Asperger's actually... think about it. She's often oblivious to what other ponies are thinking or feeling. She's very creative, a trait many autistics share. She's obsessed with cleanliness, a little bit of mud or dirt makes her want to take a bath immediately, like a compulsion. She treats her cat like a member of the family. In times of crisis she shuts down and focuses on the small insignificant details instead of the bigger picture.

 

Fluttershy strikes me more as having generalized anxiety disorder, or perhaps agoraphobia. It's not just social situations that scare her.

 

Pinkie: mania. Easy.

 

Applejack could be bipolar. She tends to bounce from happy and productive to emotionally drained rather quickly.

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What a fascinating topic!  While I don't know enough about psychology and mental disorders to attempt to diagnose anypony, the traits are very evident.  When I was writing my reviews on each of the Mane 6, discussing their minds was the thing I enjoyed the most. 

 

A favorite Pinkie Pie aspect is her need for validation from others.  I also see that in Rarity, Rainbow Dash (Mysterious Mare Do Well), and Applejack (she hates letting others down more than anything).  Twilight seems to only seek that kind of validation from Princess Celestia. 

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What a fascinating topic!  While I don't know enough about psychology and mental disorders to attempt to diagnose anypony, the traits are very evident.  When I was writing my reviews on each of the Mane 6, discussing their minds was the thing I enjoyed the most. 

 

A favorite Pinkie Pie aspect is her need for validation from others.  I also see that in Rarity, Rainbow Dash (Mysterious Mare Do Well), and Applejack (she hates letting others down more than anything).  Twilight seems to only seek that kind of validation from Princess Celestia. 

yeah, they've all gotten emotionally needy at some point

 

I wonder if the flip-side of being the elements of harmony is that they can't function without them - Pinkie needs her fun parties, Rainbow needs friends loyal to her and not Mare Do Well, etc. If they think they've lost their friends they go crazy fast.

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@@Celebrei, I thought Twiley is having OCD instead of Aspergers? btw, which psychological issues does Rainbow Dash obtain? You didn't mention it in your first post itt -- but I just presume that you're making her the psychiatrist instead?

 

 

 

Rainbow Dash could easily be ADHD.

 

Twilight's OCD is practically canon.

 

Rarity's probably Asperger's actually... think about it. She's often oblivious to what other ponies are thinking or feeling. She's very creative, a trait many autistics share. She's obsessed with cleanliness, a little bit of mud or dirt makes her want to take a bath immediately, like a compulsion. She treats her cat like a member of the family. In times of crisis she shuts down and focuses on the small insignificant details instead of the bigger picture.

 

Fluttershy strikes me more as having generalized anxiety disorder, or perhaps agoraphobia. It's not just social situations that scare her.

 

Pinkie: mania. Easy.

 

Applejack could be bipolar. She tends to bounce from happy and productive to emotionally drained rather quickly.

 

I don't really see Twilight as being OCD. OCD is an anxiety disorder, and she doesn't really strike me as having her anxiety being rooted in the way it is in OCD. In OCD people are haunted by disturbing thoughts they know are irrational (the obsessive part) and the perform rituals to dispel it (the compulsive part), Twilight only partly seems to fill the first part, and not the second part. It seems more like her OCDness is just a general personality trait, so OCPD would fit her better. She strikes me as either OCPD or AS. 

 

Rarity strikes me as the LAST pony who would have AS, she's by far the most socially cunning of the main cast, which is like the opposite of AS. I've always thought of her as being more Histronic or borderline Narcissistic Personality Disorder. However, you did bring up some points...

 

Mania fits Pinkie well, but I'm not sure if that covers it, it might. I've also seen her reasonably enough labeled with ADHD, autism, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder....let's just settle with mania. 

 

I don't think Rainbow Dash or Applejack have anything, though ADHD is probably the closest fit for Rainbow if she does. I really don't know enough about bipolar to analyse AJ, but she is definitely the straight man of the group, and I'd assume someone with BP would be a little bit less conventional. I really don't know.

 

 

 

Now, speaking about Fluttershy..... don't you think she's.......... having bipolar disorder? To switch from a calm and passive side to a raging and aggressive side?

 

I don't know. In order to be bipolar there needs to be swings between mania and depression (it's also called Manic Depressive Disorder). I guess the rage could be mania, but I heard that raging can just come from depression, so maybe just depression fits her better. Anyway, Fluttershy definitely has some sort of anxiety disorder, probably social anxiety disorder and maybe avoidant personality disorder, but she could also have AS and/or BP as well, those are diagnoses you can just stack on top of each other. 

Edited by Ganondox
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I don't really see Twilight as being OCD. OCD is an anxiety disorder, and she doesn't really strike me as having her anxiety being rooted in the way it is in OCD. In OCD people are haunted by disturbing thoughts they know are irrational (the obsessive part) and the perform rituals to dispel it (the compulsive part), Twilight only partly seems to fill the first part, and not the second part. It seems more like her OCDness is just a general personality trait, so OCPD would fit her better. She strikes me as either OCPD or AS.

Twilight's list-making definitely counts as a soothing ritual. She gathers all the necessary supplies, and backups, and focuses solely on making a to-do list. Only then can she manage her day. Also, Spike helps a lot. When there's someone you have to take care of, you must pull yourself out of your own little world.

 

 

 

I really don't know enough about bipolar to analyse AJ, but she is definitely the straight man of the group, and I'd assume someone with BP would be a little bit less conventional. I really don't know.

 

Bipolar II is characterized by hypomania, which isn't really a bad thing. The person basically just gets really productive and energetic, for a while anyway. Then there's a crash into a depressive phase. Applejack cycles back and forth a lot, one moment she tries to do everything, then she's near tears. She's crushed after losing the farm to the Flim Flam Bros., then happily proclaims that she didn't learn anything the next day. In The Last Roundup she doesn't have a full breakdown, she just enters a depressive state where she doesn't want to talk to her friends or face reality.

 

 

 

Rarity strikes me as the LAST pony who would have AS, she's by far the most socially cunning of the main cast, which is like the opposite of AS. I've always thought of her as being more Histronic or borderline Narcissistic Personality Disorder. However, you did bring up some points...

 

Rarity can socialize fine when it comes to her passion. She can talk for hours about fashion and dressmaking. So can any autistic come out of their shell to talk about their interests. But beyond that, Sweet and Elite shows that she really doesn't fit in with the Canterlot ponies. She becomes the eccentric trendsetter, ponies emulate her because Fancy Pants likes her and she's brilliant at what she does, but she never changes herself, never accommodates to them. She sticks out like a sore thumb, but like most talented famous people, she gets away with it.

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Twilight's list-making definitely counts as a soothing ritual. She gathers all the necessary supplies, and backups, and focuses solely on making a to-do list. Only then can she manage her day. Also, Spike helps a lot. When there's someone you have to take care of, you must pull yourself out of your own little world.

 

 

 

 

Bipolar II is characterized by hypomania, which isn't really a bad thing. The person basically just gets really productive and energetic, for a while anyway. Then there's a crash into a depressive phase. Applejack cycles back and forth a lot, one moment she tries to do everything, then she's near tears. She's crushed after losing the farm to the Flim Flam Bros., then happily proclaims that she didn't learn anything the next day. In The Last Roundup she doesn't have a full breakdown, she just enters a depressive state where she doesn't want to talk to her friends or face reality.

 

 

 

 

Rarity can socialize fine when it comes to her passion. She can talk for hours about fashion and dressmaking. So can any autistic come out of their shell to talk about their interests. But beyond that, Sweet and Elite shows that she really doesn't fit in with the Canterlot ponies. She becomes the eccentric trendsetter, ponies emulate her because Fancy Pants likes her and she's brilliant at what she does, but she never changes herself, never accommodates to them. She sticks out like a sore thumb, but like most talented famous people, she gets away with it.

Oo, how did you break up the quote?

 

To me Twilight's rituals seems much more autistic than OCD in nature, if you know what I mean. She doesn't appear to do it in reaction to any particular distress, she appears to be doing it because it's just part of her routine, and any distress comes from the disruption of the routine. That's what I'm getting. Also, I'm not quite sure what you're getting at with Spike.

 

Applejack's supposed mood swings don't appear that extreme and seem natural to me, but whatever.

 

Sure, talking about a subject of interest can help overcome social anxiety and it helps the conversation flow better, but there is only so much a point of interest can accommodate for. They thing is Rarity isn't just talkative about her passions, she can be downright manipulative, which tends to be difficult and/or undesirable for autistic people. Anyway, her difficulty in Canterlot seems to come more from just being an outsider in the city, someone not of that culture, and I think she did a pretty good job considering that. 

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Oo, how did you break up the quote?
 

Highlight text with your cursor, a little box will pop up, just click quote.

 

 

 

To me Twilight's rituals seems much more autistic than OCD in nature, if you know what I mean. She doesn't appear to do it in reaction to any particular distress, she appears to be doing it because it's just part of her routine, and any distress comes from the disruption of the routine. That's what I'm getting. Also, I'm not quite sure what you're getting at with Spike.

well, autism encompasses OCD, the main difference is that autistics have difficulty socializing and relating to people, and although Twilight's shy and not very active socially, she doesn't really have trouble with friends.

 

I'm just saying Spike keeps her sane. He's the one pushing her to get outside more.

 

 

 

Applejack's supposed mood swings don't appear that extreme and seem natural to me, but whatever.  
 

 

Yeah, could go either way on this one frankly, it all depends on what constitutes extreme in this universe. Seeing as how Pinkie hasn't been locked up yet, you'd have to be really nuts to actually get some psychological help.

 

 

 

They thing is Rarity isn't just talkative about her passions, she can be downright manipulative, which tends to be difficult and/or undesirable for autistic people.

 

Hm... this is sort of a gray area on the show actually. Like, take Secret of my Excess - I'm still not sure whether Rarity manipulated Spike into giving her the gem intentionally or if she really was just bad at disguising her feelings.

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Highlight text with your cursor, a little box will pop up, just click quote.

 

Ah, let's see if this works....

 

 

 

well, autism encompasses OCD, the main difference is that autistics have difficulty socializing and relating to people, and although Twilight's shy and not very active socially, she doesn't really have trouble with friends.  

 

I'd say autism encompasses OCPD, not OCD, as the main difference between OCPD and AS is that with AS there is social difficulties that aren't just a result of being obsessive. Twilight's ability to socialize is debatable, I'll leave it at that.

 

 

 

I'm just saying Spike keeps her sane. He's the one pushing her to get outside more.

 

Okay, but I don't see what that has to do with OCD vs. AS, it could go both ways equally. 

 

 

 

Yeah, could go either way on this one frankly, it all depends on what constitutes extreme in this universe. Seeing as how Pinkie hasn't been locked up yet, you'd have to be really nuts to actually get some psychological help.

 

I think Pinkie actually has been getting some sort of help, and that's why she is even working for the Cakes in the first place.

 

 

 

Hm... this is sort of a gray area on the show actually. Like, take Secret of my Excess - I'm still not sure whether Rarity manipulated Spike into giving her the gem intentionally or if she really was just bad at disguising her feelings.

 

There were other instances that were more directly manipulative, like at the beginning of The Best Night Ever with the stallions.  

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I agree with all of that! It's really cool that you were able to find all of that out. Psychology would be a cool subject to study. Good work!

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I disagree with the idea that Twilight may have Asperger's. Her personality is very typical of a scholarly introvert, and is very close to that of a stereotypical INT_ personality. These personality types do have a number of traits that overlap with Asperger's, but there are key differences, particularly with respect to social cues, protocol, and expression.

 

Here's my take on some of the behaviors brought up thus far:

 

List Making

Lists serve simply as a reminder to ensure everything is complete. It isn't to help ease the stress of managing things, compulsion to follow a ritual, etc. For someone in their own head constantly, items which need to be done can pop up and be forgotten quickly. Making a list is just a method to help with this type of forgetfulness.

 

Socializing

Preferring not to socialize does not necessarily indicate that she has a personal difficulty with, or aversion to, socializiation per se. As we can see, she has no problem interacting regularly with her close friends in what many would consider a normal or typical manner. Her type of personality demands mental stimulation; this is not provided (or expected to be provided) by small talk or chatting with random individuals. I'm pulling this bit from memory, but if I recall correctly, even in social situations we see her with a book on more than one occasion. Time alone with thoughts is her type of relaxation.

 

OCD

She may have mild OCD. First thing that pops into my head is in "Spike at Your Service", Applejack gets Twilight's attention by moving the ink well. Twilight not only reacts immediately to that and acknowledges Applejack's presence, but also quickly moves the ink well back to its proper position. There was nothing inherently wrong with the ink well's new position; it remained functional and appropriately located for use.

 

"Lesson Zero" catches some of it as well. The deadline for the letter was mostly self-imposed. Like with the ink well's position, it seems atypical for Twilight's logical personality to place so much emphasis on something which really has no meaning, if you will.

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One issue with trying to pin psychological labels on these characters is that each of the show's writers emphasize or de-emphasive a certain trait for effect, or put their own spin on the character. They have to stay within certain parameters, but there is variation. They all have multiple personality disorder because multiple personalities made them. It's still an interesting thread.

 

Edit: (additional thought) I'm guessing if you asked the writers about this topic they'd look blank or say maybe but they didn't think actively about what's "wrong" with the characters.

Edited by Nature Spell
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I'm just going to quote what was said in a similar thread suggesting that Twilight had Asperger's - because exhibiting a few traits of something does not mean you possess it:


There is an enormous line between simple introversion and passion about a certain subject, and Asperger's syndrome. The guy from Manchester in the Brony documentary had Asperger's, and it was explained pretty well there.
 
Asperger's is nothing more than a preference for things to be neat and tidy, a preference for routines, a preference for staying interested in one thing alone and not trying many new things, and people with Asperger's often have very enhanced senses. And, as people above rightly said, enhanced intelligence.
 
My point is that the above traits can be present in people without Asperger's - which means that diagnosing someone with it is on the basis that all of the traits are present at once. Twilight only has a select few of all the different characteristics; it would be a very long stretch to say they have Asperger's.
Edited by Flipturn ツ
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I disagree with the idea that Twilight may have Asperger's.
 

 

The argument you made in your post doesn't seem to support your claim. Rather, you appear to be arguing that Twilight Sparkle might not have AS, not that she can't have it. The difference is pretty important. Seem, you do very little to say why Twilight can't have it, just why she might just be an introvert. I'm not going to rule that out, I'm sure she is INT_, but I am going to fight your claim that she can't have AS.  I don't mean to offend, but I like being able to think of Twilight Sparkle as being ambiguously autistic. Really, everything is a matter of perspective, and just as someone who has a personality like Twilight's who isn't autistic might take offense to such a declaration, equally someone with a personality like Twilight's who is autistic might take offensive to the declaration that she can't be autistic. After-all, INT_ are the most common personality types with AS, and considering how rare they are in the general population it's not that rare for someone with those personalities to lie on the autism spectrum.

 

 

 

List Making Lists serve simply as a reminder to ensure everything is complete. It isn't to help ease the stress of managing things, compulsion to follow a ritual, etc. For someone in their own head constantly, items which need to be done can pop up and be forgotten quickly. Making a list is just a method to help with this type of forgetfulness.

 

And? Executive Dysfunction and poor Working Memory are common with AS. Rituals are not required for a diagnosis of Asperger's Syndrome. The class B criteria (not sure how relevant this is because technically AS doesn't exist in the DSM anymore) can also be satisfied just for unusual fixations and stereotypes, which Twilight might fulfill. Anyway, Twilight's need for routine seems to stretch a bit beyond just the realm of organization with some aspects, and could easily be explained with AS.

 

 

 

Socializing Preferring not to socialize does not necessarily indicate that she has a personal difficulty with, or aversion to, socializiation per se. As we can see, she has no problem interacting regularly with her close friends in what many would consider a normal or typical manner. Her type of personality demands mental stimulation; this is not provided (or expected to be provided) by small talk or chatting with random individuals. I'm pulling this bit from memory, but if I recall correctly, even in social situations we see her with a book on more than one occasion. Time alone with thoughts is her type of relaxation.

 

 The entire series is about Twilight learning to socialize, I don't know what could be more autistic than that. I'm pretty sure she has at least some difficulties with socializing. Also, wouldn't her bringing a book with her to social situations suggest that she has some problems with socializing even with her friends?

 

 

 

OCD She may have mild OCD. First thing that pops into my head is in "Spike at Your Service", Applejack gets Twilight's attention by moving the ink well. Twilight not only reacts immediately to that and acknowledges Applejack's presence, but also quickly moves the ink well back to its proper position. There was nothing inherently wrong with the ink well's new position; it remained functional and appropriately located for use.   "Lesson Zero" catches some of it as well. The deadline for the letter was mostly self-imposed. Like with the ink well's position, it seems atypical for Twilight's logical personality to place so much emphasis on something which really has no meaning, if you will.
 

 

I'm going to say this again, but those traits strike me as being more along OCPD or AS than straight OCD. You know, I first heard about OCD when I read Xenocide in the 6th grade. It wasn't until latter that I learned about the internet stereotype of OCD, which seemed to be quite a bit different from how OCD was depicted in Xenocide. After doing some research into OCD I've concluded that Orson Scott Card did do his research, and the internet is just ignorant about OCD like it is about every other psychiatric diagnosis. 

 

 

One issue with trying to pin psychological labels on these characters is that each of the show's writers emphasize or de-emphasive a certain trait for effect, or put their own spin on the character. They have to stay within certain parameters, but there is variation. They all have multiple personality disorder because multiple personalities made them. It's still an interesting thread.

 

 

Screw Rule of Funny, ponies are serious business! biggrin.png

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The argument you made in your post doesn't seem to support your claim. Rather, you appear to be arguing that Twilight Sparkle might not have AS, not that she can't have it. The difference is pretty important.

 

Traits associated with the Autism spectrum that go along with those I mentioned include things such as difficulty with social expectations, picking up on expressions / being expressive, etc. I have no observed Twilight having consistent difficulty with any of those. As a filly (during the entrance exam, for example), Twilight's expressiveness, eye contact, interaction, communication, etc. was certainly neurotypical and does not appear to be consistent with AS; at least, nothing jumps out. I briefly mentioned these traits before, but my apologies if I was not clear why I mentioned these aspects.

 

 

 

And? Executive Dysfunction and poor Working Memory are common with AS. Rituals are not required for a diagnosis of Asperger's Syndrome. The class B criteria (not sure how relevant this is because technically AS doesn't exist in the DSM anymore) can also be satisfied just for unusual fixations and stereotypes, which Twilight might fulfill. Anyway, Twilight's need for routine seems to stretch a bit beyond just the realm of organization with some aspects, and could easily be explained with AS.

 

Poor working memory is also very common with the personality type I claim she fits to - it could just as easily be explained with this. I do not think her list-making is routine for routine's sake, but only routine because it is a recognized necessity.

 

 

 

The entire series is about Twilight learning to socialize, I don't know what could be more autistic than that. I'm pretty sure she has at least some difficulties with socializing. Also, wouldn't her bringing a book with her to social situations suggest that she has some problems with socializing even with her friends?

 

I'm going to half-disagree with this. The series is about Twilight making friends, which requires socialization - the two are not mutually inclusive or exclusive. Twilight's socialization behavior is completely typical of a introverted thinking individual (aforementioned personality types). When socializing, there is disinterest which can be perceived as awkwardness. This is because she does not want to be there (again, for the aforementioned reasons of mental stimulation), but I observe no difficulty in the sense that she does not know how to interact with others when forced to do so.

 

My explanation from this comes from the perspective of someone with a similar personality. I suppose the AS vs. introvert would hinge on inability to interact with others in neurotypical fashion vs. has no desire to interact with others, respectively. I'm leaning to the latter.

 

 

 

I'm going to say this again, but those traits strike me as being more along OCPD or AS than straight OCD.

 

I was not familiar with OCPD. After doing a quick read on the subject, I agree with an assessment of OCPD.

 

 

 

 

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My explanation from this comes from the perspective of someone with a similar personality. I suppose the AS vs. introvert would hinge on inability to interact with others in neurotypical fashion vs. has no desire to interact with others, respectively. I'm leaning to the latter.

 

 

 

 

I was not familiar with OCPD. After doing a quick read on the subject, I agree with an assessment of OCPD.

 

Well I say it's more of OCPD vs. AS. Twilight is an introvert, there is no doubt about that. To tell if she has AS she needs to have a certain level of social difficulty and a certain level of obsessiveness. If you are just looking at the social difficulties than you would be comparing AS vs. OCPD. If you want to compare OCPD vs. "NT" you will need to look at another axis. 

 

Anyway, I'd say Twilight's ability to socialize remains debatable. You could easily write her going either way in a fanfic. 

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