Cutie Mark Assignment

[AustralianFries 213]

**Just to make the mods happy, I searched up different keywords and tried to find topics similar to this. I found nothing. So here's my topic thingy:

 

Okay so all of you know that when a pony discovers their special talent they get their cutie mark. Usually at a pretty young age. But who gives them their cutie marks? And who determines what the actual cutie mark. Some of you may be thinking "Fries, it just happens when they find their talent. The cutie mark is a picture of what that is!" Well yes, but I want a more specific answer.

 

So is there like a magical team of people that assign cutie marks? Is it one being that does it? Does it just magically happen? When is it determined the time that they get their cutie marks? The moment that they discover their talent? Or does it have to go through a certain process once a pony gets to a certain skill level in that talent?

 

With all of that aside, when they discover their talent, what determines what the actual image will be? For instance, lets say a pony is a pilot (and just for lulz, this pony flies multiple planes). Would the cutie mark be just one of the planes they fly? If so, which one? What determines it?!?

 

Okay, I may be over thinking this. I just want to know how it all happens. And I guess, there's not really a cannon way of knowing other than "it just appears". But do you have any theories of how it all works? I don't even know where to start .___.

Edited January 5, 2013 by AustralianFries

[Radiance64 7,051]

Equestria is a magical land, where magical things happen to magical ponies- when it comes to cutie marks, I just leave it at that personally.

But who knows, maybe it could just be some bodily function akin to adrenaline or something that just happens at the right time.

[The Stranger 812]

Alright when it comes to how a pony gets a cutie mark, or how it looks, or how is it decided as to when it should appear I think that's something the ponies themselves don't even know (maybe Celestia knows, she is immortal after all).

 

I believe it's some sort of divine intervention (if heaven exist's in the world of ponies) that causes all this to happen with cutie marks.

 

Maybe it's not something mortal ponies are suppose to know (except Celestia and Luna, they might know).

 

Of course none of this is discussed in the show so anything anyone writes here is just speculation or theories.  

Edited January 5, 2013 by Data Void

[Zygen 6,065]

I think that its just probably some type of hormone or chemical in their body that is released by the stimulation in their brains from discovering something they are truly talented, this hormone like hormones for puberty and stuff instead of giving you ugly acne and stuff gives you a cutie mark.

 

 

Ok honestly I have no idea, thats just the best scientific explanation I can give, my magical one is that the magical force of magic deems the will of it to give them their cutie mark when it finds it is time.

 

I highly doubt Cutie marks and EXACTLY how they get them will never been confirmed cannon .

 

Anyways, thats my story and i'm stickin to it! .

[Tall_But_Short_37 233]

it's just an innate trait to all ponies that it will appear when they find their special talents. It's either just a trait of their species, or caused by some mysterious magical force we may never understand. As for when they get it, it's just whenever they themselves realize what their special talent is. Even if they've been doing it for a while, it may take a special event to trigger their brains to connect it's truly what they're meant to do.

 

What the image of their Cutie Mark is, I have no idea or real theories on what determines it.

 

Two questions that I have to add to this discussion:

1. Is a pony's Cutie Mark determined from birth (almost like John Calvin's predestination), or is it something that they themselves independently discover?
2. What happens if a pony never find their special talent and gets a Cutie Mark? How often does this happen? We never really see any grown ponies in MLP:FiM without marks, but they must exist. Are they looked down upon or ostracized from society, and that's why we don't see them?

[The Stranger 812]

 

it's just an innate trait to all ponies that it will appear when they find their special talents. It's either just a trait of their species, or caused by some mysterious magical force we may never understand. As for when they get it, it's just whenever they themselves realize what their special talent is. Even if they've been doing it for a while, it may take a special event to trigger their brains to connect it's truly what they're meant to do.

 

What the image of their Cutie Mark is, I have no idea or real theories on what determines it.

 

Two questions that I have to add to this discussion:

1. Is a pony's Cutie Mark determined from birth (almost like John Calvin's predestination), or is it something that they themselves independently discover?
2. What happens if a pony never find their special talent and gets a Cutie Mark? How often does this happen? We never really see any grown ponies in MLP:FiM without marks, but they must exist. Are they looked down upon or ostracized from society, and that's why we don't see them?

 

Both of your questions are of high worth and interest. I in fact would like to have them answer as well but all of this falls in line with speculation and theory. Maybe someone should contact the creators behind My Little Pony and ask but they most likely won't have an answer or will withhold any information to avoid misunderstandings, confusion, or spoiling possible future episode ideas.

[Tall_But_Short_37 233]

Both of your questions are of high worth and interest. I in fact would like to have them answer as well but all of this falls in line with speculation and theory. Maybe someone should contact the creators behind My Little Pony and ask but they most likely won't have an answer or will withhold any information to avoid misunderstandings, confusion, or spoiling possible future episode ideas.

 

Oh I definitely wasn't expecting to get answers that were canon or anything. They're just there to speculate about, because we'll likely never have any of them legitimately answered in the show. However, I think an episode that explains more not about how characters got their cutie marks, but more about cuties marks in general (which could answer some of the questions in this thread) would be amazing. Perhaps Celestia explaining it to the CMC for some reason?

[D1SC0RD 987]

Hehe! Your idea of someone predetermining cutie marks reminds me of The Fates. You are probably familiar with this, but for those who are not... The Fates were three women in greek mythology who controlled the time of birth, lifespan, and time of death for each person. They did this with thread of life; one woman would spin the thread (creating life), another would measure it (determining lifespan), and the last would cut the thread when it was time (death). You may remember these three women from the Disney movie Hercules.

 

They liked to play with the one eye they shared... always passing it back and forth. I don't think that actually happened according to the mythology though... I digress.

 

 

Anyway, a lot of Equestrian things are rooted in Greek mythology (ex: manticors, pegasi, someone physically raising the sun, etc). I think it could be possible that someone decides upon everyone's cutie marks, just like The Fates decide about people's lives.

 

However, I don't know if this is how it goes. Although it is pretty cool that your idea and Greek mythology (common theme within the show) involve someone creating a person's fate... it's just unnecessary. It complicates things. But it would make a pretty cool episode if it worked like that!

[XUNUSEDXXX 3,459]

I'm thinking it's just kind of like a puberty thing for humans. It kind of develops naturally like for all humans and the parallel IMO can be said for pwnies.

[Stellafera 3,835]

They liked to play with the one eye they shared... always passing it back and forth. I don't think that actually happened according to the mythology though... I digress.

 

Nope, those were the grey sisters that told Perseus where Medusa was, after he did the whole "steal their eye" trick. One of the many mythological failures of Hercules.

 

Anyways, back on topic, I think that it's just something innate in the pony species. That's why dragons like Spike don't get them. Otherwise, the powers that be must be pretty racist. 

[D1SC0RD 987]

Nope, those were the grey sisters that told Perseus where Medusa was, after he did the whole "steal their eye" trick. One of the many mythological failures of Hercules.

 

I meant specifically the Fates with the eye bit. I mentioned it because it was a character quirk they had in the movie and I hoped it would jog people's memories a bit.

 

But I didn't know that someone actually had their eye stolen! Thank you for informing me about that. And yes, a lot about Disney's Hercules was inaccurate. I still liked the movie though. 

 

Edit: Oh wait... did you mean those three women were the gray sisters? How weird, and more inaccurate than I initially assumed XD

Edited January 5, 2013 by D1SC0RD

[Dusty Soul 2,611]

I think it's more or less a right of becoming a mature adult.  A right of passage if you will.  Equestria is a magical land, and so one can assume that the cutie marks may be an focus of magic in one area of the ponies body, in all cases the flank.  All ponies have magic in them but when they find their talent the magic focuses and becomes an image of whatever it is their talent was. 

[BeatrixBow 119]

My theory would be simply the magic of Equestria. I mean, come on! Of course Equestria is a magical land!! But, I ALSO think that the higher up ponies(as in royalty and pony-scholars) long ago had a system made where a young filly would get their cutie mark at a predicted time of their lives. They would have to wait and see where the wind blows to figure out what their cutie mark will be. As for the ACTUAL cutie mark determination, I would just say I dunno.   Maybe the magic just determines how they've been.....doing something to get they're cutie mark?? I really dunno. Would love to find out though. Hmmmmmm.....

[Twinhead B 482]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7e0777z7AY

 

Magic. Everything in MLP can be explained with magic. It's hinted that every type of pony has magic to some extent. Unicorns can cast spells, Pegasi can fly, and Earth Ponies have enhanced physical abilities. So, it's safe to assume that same magic is also what gives the pony their Cutie Mark. How it does that, and whether or not a pony's cutie mark is predestined is a whole other mystery.

[Stellafera 3,835]

Edit: Oh wait... did you mean those three women were the gray sisters? How weird, and more inaccurate than I initially assumed XD

 

The eye thing was the gray sisters. The fate thing was the, well, Fates. Hercules decided to mix the two because ???. Not as bad as making Hera the happy mother of Hercules though. I think I actually laughed out loud at that part.

Edited January 5, 2013 by Stellafera

[AustralianFries 213]

These are some interesting theories. I don't know. I know that Equestria is a totally magical place and everything, but I just wanted some more specifics xD I guess there's no cannon way of knowing, only speculation.

[~Chaotic Fireball~ 498]

So I've been wondering after watching the S3 finale, "Does your Cutie Mark control you?"

'Does it really make you -- you?" 

According to the last episode of Season 3, your cutie mark tells you what to do. 

I think that this is what it's all about;

When a pony first earns her cutie mark, new cells are formed in the pony's brain. These are the cells that are now part of your DNA, and control your special talent. They are usually fully developed by the filly/colt stage (around 8-12 human years?) Whenever afterwards you are in a situation that you can cope with, that has to do with your special talent, your cutie mark sends a special message to the brain, telling you what to do. Is this what the ponies meant when they said 'What my cutie mark is telling me'? And then after receiving the message, you can spring into action faster than any other pony can in this case, since this is your special talent. 

So I'm guessing in the S3 finale, the Mane 6's cutie marks are telling them what to do, and they know that they have to do it, but they can't because it's just simply not them, thus causing confusion and chaos in their bodies.

 

Okay, enough smart-ponying around for me. What do you guys think about this?

[Kitty Cat Moonshire 628]

I think some of you people like to overthink stuff that even the writers haven't even considered, just for the sake of making everything way too elaborate!

[Scootalove 10,684]

The way cutie marks work are, when you find your talent you will get your cutie mark if you mastered it. Pretty much, you can't rush getting a cutie mark you have to find your special talent.

[queridoor 11]

I think the "what my cutie mark is telling me" was more of a "Well, this is what my cutie mark says I'm supposed to do, why can't I do it?!"

[Minath Khalsi 195]

I agree with Queridor, the ponies are frustrated because their cutie marks are saying one thing is for them, but they can't do it. Rainbor Dash can still be a weather pony, but her cutie mark symbolizes its not what she's meant to do.

[Leafeon 2,701]

Cutie marks were introduced in the toy series to identify each pony. Since they have to keep continuity with the older gens, it still exists. Course, the destiny thing is how it is said to work.

 

A lot of people like to point out "What my Cutie Mark is Telling Me". I'd like to bring up an earlier story... Trixie. But I suppose I shouldn't carry off on that story.

[Argumedies 1,748]

This all depends on how you want too look at it. Looking at it from the fact of the mechanics of the show the cutie mark was meant for no more then a way to show ID. Lets face it, outside of their color and CM, ponies look a lot alike which is why they are so easy to recreate. They have been trying to play on the whole destiny concept but Ever since the cutie pox episode, they have been juggling with the concept of control and the writers are just rolling with it imho.

 

Now in story. While its never been explained but my head cannon likes to say that... when you finally find that one thing that makes you happiest the magic that emanates through out this world, marks you in a way that lets everyone else know that you have found your happiness and thus helps you in making your quality of life better

 

But when that magic is interrupted, such as the cutie pox or Star swirl's spell, it can have devastating effects causing mass confusion. The longer you've had your mark and the more you rely on its influence, the worse the outcome.

 

Your right its easy to over analyse this. And i probably just did but that's the way i look at it.

[duidamasterXD 9,626]

This thread appears to be discussing MLP:FiM in some way, shape or form. Thus, it has been sentenced to Show Discussion.

 

This is an automatically generated message, by the way.

[Flicker Sweet 3,391]

I'm pretty sure that cutie marks are based not on TALENTS but on PASSIONS

take Twilight for example:

she's not particularly good at anything besides reading and magic

but her PASSION is only for magic, hense the cutie mark

that's why the cutie mark crusaders haven't found their cutie marks yet, they keep searching for things they're GOOD AT, not things they LOVE