How can Earth Ponies stand not having wings/magic?

[user1342342 143]

I think they should have given the earth ponies more perks. Like being invincible to certain kinds of magic, being overall physically stronger, and some kind of earth magic they can manifest and use. I know they showed us earth ponies have magic, but it's never really used or explored much at all. 

Edited June 4, 2016 by CJPony

[PinkieAwesome 65]

They're brainwashed into accepting that pegasai and unicorns are much more interesting.

How exactly are they more interesting? I find pegasus ponies boring and arrogant

[Jonquil the Wanderer 41]

I know earth ponies can't do magic or fly but i just find them to be good as they are.

Earth ponies don't rely on shortcuts to get things done, they are more like the average person within a fantastical world. Where they can be show how strong they are without special powers.

 

Go Earth ponies !    

 

[PacificGreen 1,163]

There are plenty of people on our own Earth who make it (happily or otherwise) without the gift of intelligence/talent/whatever. And we're not even close to an Equestrian harmony on this planet. Remember, the cutie mark magic gives everypony a talent. So everyone has a place, obviously. I think the individual cutie mark is way more important than the species in consideration of talent, just look at Fluttershy (her pegasus status is largely useless in doing what she loves to do). Earth Ponies can't fly or use magic, but they sure as hell don't have a disadvantage.

 

 

That's a good point to bring up.

 

While I do like the whole "Earth ponies have a connection to nature thing" (seriously, we haven't seen any farming pegasi or unicorns, unless Fluttershy has some sort of garden or something), I like the idea that pony society places more emphasis on one's actual talent than on one's pony type.

 

Because, notice how a lot of earth ponies don't seem to have jobs related to farming, plants, animals or food (like Filthy Rich or the Manehattan Ponies). But at the same time, a lot of pegasi have talents that don't relate to flying or weather.

 

Like Fluttershy, or the furniture pony.

 

 

So yeah, it seems that in Equestria, the type of pony you are, while it is important, doesn't have to limit your social status or lot in life. Just because you can't fly or use magic, doesn't make you less talented, while having either of those doesn't make you more. And I like that.

Edited June 4, 2016 by PacificNatsuDonkey

[PuppyKit 12]

There are three types of superpowers the mental powers like telekinesis and telepathy (which is like the Unicorn magic) special abilities like Pegasus weather control and flight, and then the most common and popular power 'enhanced physical abilities'. Think super strength, invulnerable, greater stamina, super speed. Well not my favorite of the powers it is the mostly completely used and appear to be what Earth Ponies have. However all the ponies powers lay more in their potential. They need to train up these abilities as even though they are naturally better at something others can still learn it. The series has shown Unicorns learning spells to control the weather and Pegasus becoming as physically capable as most Earth Ponies but even then Rainbow Dash could never be as strong as Maud as she as a greater potential for strength and has probably reached it through training (which she got working on a rock farm). Earth Ponies can also have psychic powers as example the Pie families ability to 'sense' things and Cheese Sandwich's / Pinkie's ability to bend reality around them like unicorn magic.

 

All their powers come from magic but the different species are naturally better at certain things and people tend to train what they are good at, however all ponies can learn the other's abilities to a certain degree. Example Earth Ponies may never be able to fly but Pinkie Pie has shown they can teach themselves to float.

 

I know I'm using Pinkie Pie as my major example but the fact Cheese Sandwich has these same abilities proves Pinkie's powers are not unique for Earth Ponies, just rare

[Courageous Thunder Dash 7,824]

Their strength makes up for it. Even if I didn't have wings or a horn, I'd be glad I could lift/haul things nearly 3x my own weight. 

[Steel Accord 6,660]

 

 

Before all you high-ranked veterans of MLPforums scream that you have seen this post fifty billion times,

 

I actually haven't. Variants on the "unicorn master race" or "earth pony magic" but not a suggestion of victim culture among earth ponies.

 

 

 

I really don't get how earth ponies can be totally fine with not having any powers or special abilities while there are unicorns and pegasi all around them who can fly and perform magic. It doesn't seem like they would manage it very long.

 

Equestria's going on a thousand plus years since the three tribes founded it, the only time an earth pony brought this up as an issue was Chancellor Puddinghead before Equestria was even founded and the ponies were divided politically as much as biologically. Modern times, earth ponies actually take a great amount of pride in what they can do with their various competitions of physicality. AJ brought it up during "Fall Weather Friends" that Rainbow's wings were an unfair advantage but she did so specifically within the bounds of a competition of abilities they shared rather than something AJ couldn't compete in by matter of physically being incapable of doing so, see my point below.

 

 

 

Somepony would have probably stood up and said that it wasn't fair by now how other races can do amazing things like fly and cast spells

 

"Stood up and said that it wasn't fair?" I think I'll let Monty Python speak for me on this one.

 

(0:45)

[Magic Rasin 180]

Since earth ponies haven't lived with either wings or a horn they just don't see what they're missing out on.

[SquipyCheetah 449]

I always thought that they don't really care if they can't fly or do magic. They are stronger physically than them and they have a special connection with the earth that the other races don't have. Honestly, if I were an earth pony, I'd be fine with that alone.

[HereComesTom 2,267]

Their strength makes up for it. Even if I didn't have wings or a horn, I'd be glad I could lift/haul things nearly 3x my own weight. 

 

It's true!  When you consider that Big Mackintosh was able to singlehandedly pull a whole house, I think it's safe to say that earth ponies have mega-strength that puts them on par with pegasi and unicorns in terms of generally having powers.  It's just as likely that there are unicorns who wish they had an earth pony's mega-strength as it is there are earth ponies who envy unicorns' magic.

[Castle Bleck 19,364]

It's just as likely that there are unicorns who wish they had an earth pony's mega-strength as it is there are earth ponies who envy unicorns' magic.

 

Reminds me of an old, now-debunked headcanon I once read...

 

Basically, there once was this Earth Pony with Unicorn-envy who kept looking for ways to grow himself a horn so he could finally use all those big-time spells he liked reading about, eventually resulting in this:

 

 

 

Edited June 10, 2016 by A.V.

[HereComesTom 2,267]

Reminds me of an old, now-debunked headcanon that I once read...

 

Basically, there was this Earth Pony with Unicorn-envy who kept looking for ways to grow himself a horn so he could finally use all the big-time spells he liked reading about, eventually resulting in this:

 

 

 

 

IMO, such a backstory is plausible---untrue in the particular case you cited, but in general, one pony envying another and it leading to problems or even villainy sounds plausible.

 

Kind of reminds me of the Cutie Pox episode, actually...

[Twilight Frost 271]

Earth ponies are the farmers, bakers, servants and craftsponies. Without them, the others don't have much. 

[user1342342 143]

Earth ponies are the farmers, bakers, servants and craftsponies. Without them, the others don't have much. 

 

I'm pretty sure pegasi and unicorns can do that aswell. They honestly didn't give earth ponies much, which is sad. Fans are inventing new abilities for them because the show didn't really give them hardly anything. 

[Twilight Frost 271]

I'm pretty sure pegasi and unicorns can do that aswell. They honestly didn't give earth ponies much, which is sad. Fans are inventing new abilities for them because the show didn't really give them hardly anything. 

But according to the history of Hearths warming, they couldn't. Only earth ponies knew and could grow crops for the others, so I would assume that they are the only ones who know how or could do such a thing for some reason. 

[TerminalObsession 250]

They wouldn't know what it's like to fly or have magic. I generally picture them as not being all that curious about it anyway.

[The Nth Doctor 662]

Amusingly enough, humans are pretty much the Earth ponies of real life

 

We can't fly like birds or breathe underwater like fish

Not to mention while we like to pretend we're at the top of the food chain, there's still plenty of animals who can kill us effortlessly

 

To get around our own handicaps, we invent new and better ways to do things; same as the earth ponies of Equestria

[user1342342 143]

Not to mention while we like to pretend we're at the top of the food chain, there's still plenty of animals who can kill us effortlessly

 

 

That's a joke right? Humans have taken over the entire planet, no animal even begins to compare.

[The Nth Doctor 662]

That's a joke right? Humans have taken over the entire planet, no animal even begins to compare.

Yet we're still scared of swimming in the ocean besides sharks and jellyfish

 

I don't see us cuddling lions and bears or letting them walk through our homes without fear

 

We like to think we're in charge but it's clear that we aren't

[user1342342 143]

Yet we're still scared of swimming in the ocean besides sharks and jellyfish

 

I don't see us cuddling lions and bears or letting them walk through our homes without fear

 

We like to think we're in charge but it's clear that we aren't

 

Dude, we can just shoot a lion, or any animal. Humans have sent robots to other planets, no animal even beings to compare. We are in charged of the planet, every other creature of this world belongs to us, we own everything collectively as the human race, and we decide what goes.

Edited June 10, 2016 by CJPony

[Randimaxis 8,652]

My opinion?

 

Earth Ponies get more stability and are a bit more serious because of the lack of 'special' abilities.

 

Look at Applejack; clearly she's one of the more level-headed of the Mane 6.  She's always had to doo the hoofwork, because she had no wings or magic to make it easier.  Ask anyone who has ever worked a rough physical job before - they may be drained at the end of the day, but there IS something focusing and cleansing about it, in it's own way.  This would be a good measure of reason why Earth Ponies are just a bit more mature and serious than the other two.

 

"Oh, but WAIT!  Pinkie Pie is an Earth Pony - that blows the whole 'mature and serious' part away!"

 

Back off, trolly; let me point out something...

 

Pinkie Pie is THE.  SUPER.  DUPER.  PARTY.  PONY.

 

There is NOTHING in the universe she takes as seriously as partying.  I present the hidden basement in her house - where she keeps Party Files on every pony in Equestria - as further evidence.  That is a pony who is SERIOUS enough about her work... just like AJ.  

 

And you may scoff at the idea, but she tends to approach the idea of a party as maturely as possible: she hoof-delivers invitations, she gets the decorations ready in time, she gets the goodies baked and always brings plenty of ammo for her Party Cannon - sounds like somepony is more MATURE than many folks give her credit for.

 

Back to the original question:

 

I think Earth Ponies have more hard-won experience and focus than the other two breeds.  Now, I'm not saying those breeds don't have those among them who are focused and serious... but you'll find more 'down to earth' ponies among the kind who can't fly or cast magic than you will the other two.

 

Just my own lil' thoughts on that.

[twiia 1,843]

Earth ponies are strong, and if they wanted to, can hold food from the other tribes and let them starve.