Cutie Mark Speculation

[Discordian 6,013]

So we know that Cutie Marks are given when a pony finds out what makes them unique.

 

But here's the question: Is it chosen for them before they are born through some sort of fate system or do they truly get to choose what it is and is influenced purely on their decision on what they want to do in life?

[planet news 16]

inb4 god/free will debate

 

It is clearly more than their own "decision," since 1) nopony ever really KNOWS when they're going to get their cutie mark until after the fact, and 2) the cutie marks of the mane 6 have already been shown to be linked by some underlying narrative possibly even having to do with their relationship to the elements.

 

2b) it might also be the case that, because of how the Sonic Rainboom is such a large-scale atmospheric event, Dash probably influenced many other ponies' cutie marks at the same time and that the mane 6 just happen to be in that much larger set of ponies influenced by Dash---thereby dispelling the "mystical connection" that Twilight daydreams about at the end of TCMC

Edited October 10, 2011 by planet news

[Discordian 6,013]

But if you think about it: People base their "What I want to do in life" based on previous life experiences and they decide what they do and don't want to do with their lives based on that, like say...Pinkie on the rock farm. When she learned of a smile, she knew she wanted to make people smile.

 

This ultimately is a debate of whether they choose through life experiences and then get their cutie mark or if before they are born their lives always play out in a way that will force them into the realization of what makes them unique.

[Tyroq 344]

But here's the question: Is it chosen for them before they are born through some sort of fate system or do they truly get to choose what it is and is influenced purely on their decision on what they want to do in life?

 

Oh that's deep man. That is deep.

 

Well...

 

As PN just said, there is a lot more to the cutie mark than any one pony's decision. This has been demonstrated several times in the show in just season 1. And I think it's most obvious in the antics of the CMC, who keep trying new things but still haven't gotten their marks. If it were up to the individuals, they would probably have theirs already for trying so hard. But they still don't, which says that their marks are already determined, they just haven't discovered them yet.

 

However, there may be some elements of choice involved. It has been said that our lives are factories and we are producing the person we will become tomorrow. It may well be that ponies are not born with a predetermined cutie mark, but that the choices they make early in life influence what it will become. Beyond that they have no direct control over it. But that does provide a better answer than blind fate.

[SugarSlatheredCandyApple 20]

I don't know. I kinda think the cutie mark system is a lil silly. As most of us know when we go through college, what you want to do changes as you go through life. What you decide you love and what makes you special when you're a ...young filly... and having it magically tattooed to yourself and it never goes away..........um.........heh.....

[planet news 16]

That's true of people, but that's because cutie marks are not built into our culture.

 

I think a career choice for people these days takes the route of either 1) most practical OVERALL given the economic situation, or 2) the most practical OF the things I already like.

 

But ponies live their whole lives waiting for their cutie mark. The CMC search for their cutie marks. They don't think about what they naturally like or are good at. This is the same with all the others. The mane 6 discover their cutie marks. They don't self-reflect and plan.

 

The real question is whether or not anypony ever got a cutie mark and was disappointed. Seems like an oxymoron...

Edited October 10, 2011 by planet news

[SugarSlatheredCandyApple 20]

 

Oh that's deep man. That is deep.

 

Well...

 

As PN just said, there is a lot more to the cutie mark than any one pony's decision. This has been demonstrated several times in the show in just season 1. And I think it's most obvious in the antics of the CMC, who keep trying new things but still haven't gotten their marks. If it were up to the individuals, they would probably have theirs already for trying so hard. But they still don't, which says that their marks are already determined, they just haven't discovered them yet.

 

 

Well, I think that one of the things about the Cutie Mark Crusaders is that they keep trying to go out and discover what they're good at, rather than looking at what they already know. Sweetie Belle is obviously a fantastic singer and Scootaloo is an amazing skateboarder. Apple bloom is just adorable.

[Mint Petal 256]

I think that it may be semi-predestined. Seeing as how a cutie mark appears when a pony discovers their purpose or special talent, a talent is something that you're really good at, so probably somepony's going to get a tree and shears cutie mark because they found out that they're good at making topiaries. Self discovery plays a large role in this, so their cutie mark may be predestined.

[Heartstrings 102]

It's probably a predetermined thing, and that everypony has a special talent that they're naturally good at, but that still doesn't define their life. A lot of people confuse what their Cutie Mark being as defining their career, but it's more of a personal thing. Examples: Rarity's special talent is finding gems, but she's a dress maker and rarely is seen finding gems. Rainbow Dash is a weather pony, but her talent is racing.

 

Even if later on in life a pony wants to change what they do in life, it still doesn't have to conflict with their Cutie Mark. Let's give an example. If a pony's special talent was painting, had a paintbrush as a Cutie Mark, and later on in life they decided to become a waiter. Their special talent would still be painting, but she'd work as a waiter.

[Discordian 6,013]

That's true, Seb. But at the same time...they still make choices earlier in life and situations dictate how things work out so it's still possible that their choices earlier in life lead up to their realization of their Cutie Mark.

 

I mean, we all can see the CMC have what it takes and those things must have come from some sort of decision earlier in their life to be that good at what they do, they just don't realize that's what makes them special yet.

[planet news 16]

Seb, are you sure that Rarity's and Dash's "careers" demonstrate a disconnect with their cutie mark?

 

I mean... I thought the gems meant that Rarity's special design element---what she'll be known for---was gems.

 

I also see a cloud in Dash's cutie mark, which could mean weather, although it does indeed seem like "going fast" is what triggered it.

 

Every other pony seems to definitely have tight career connections.

 

This, of course, ignores the realities of any job market.

[Discordian 6,013]

Well there's definitely a correlation between Rarity and Dash's career and their specialty but their career is not totally dependent on their specialty.

 

Rarity is good at finding gems, that's what her Cutie Mark represents, but her love for clothing design that she's known before she even had a Cutie Mark has nothing to do with the ability to find gems in the ground. This ability is unique to her while there are many clothing designers in the world like Photo Finish.

[Heartstrings 102]

The biggest reason I'm leaning toward predetermined are the names. Almost all the names have something directly incorporated with their talent, although there are outliers (Granny Smith, Applebloom.) I think that for the most part it's a predetermined thing, but there are cases were life can flop that around and you could end up with something completely different. If you tried really hard to be something (Twilight learning everything she could about magic) you could do it, while most just have it happen naturally (Rarity being led to gems)

Just because something is you special talent however, it doesn't define your career. (Pinkie Pie's talent is throwing parties, she's a baker.) They aren't dependent on eachother at all

[Tyroq 344]

Seb, are you sure that Rarity's and Dash's "careers" demonstrate a disconnect with their cutie mark?

 

I mean... I thought the gems meant that Rarity's special design element---what she'll be known for---was gems.

 

I also see a cloud in Dash's cutie mark, which could mean weather, although it does indeed seem like "going fast" is what triggered it.

 

Every other pony seems to definitely have tight career connections.

 

This, of course, ignores the realities of any job market.

 

Assuming their jobs aren't assigned. We really don't have much information on Equestrian economics. We know they use Bits as currency, but that's about it. It's entirely possible that they are assigned jobs based on their talents. After all, Twilight was assigned to Ponyville. We just don't have enough information to know how it all works.

[Heartstrings 102]

 

Assuming their jobs aren't assigned. We really don't have much information on Equestrian economics. We know they use Bits as currency, but that's about it. It's entirely possible that they are assigned jobs based on their talents. After all, Twilight was assigned to Ponyville. We just don't have enough information to know how it all works.

 

I remember Faust saying that the Cakes asked Pinkie to work for them, that's the only clue we really have. Most of the shops we've seen have been small, local businesses, so it's safe to assume that ponies open their own businesses (like Applejack operating her

own stand at the Gala.) This can be also supported by the medieval style setting the show has, and that's how most businesses were set up back then.

I feel like I'm writing essays here, haha

[planet news 16]

Think about how much revenue AJ lost though

 

she does have this huge apple monopoly though

 

Can we just assume that they're all monopolies?

 

I fail to see how a price system needs to be some kind of regulation force in a society where friendship is magic

 

so, no, I don't think it matters even theoretically

[The Great and Powerful Trixie 78]

I have a feeling that at one point, in some episode, they're gonna reveal some character who determines what cutie marks everyone receives.

 

Still, I feel like it was implied that cutie marks are predetermined, but they only appear when the pony realizes what their special talent is.

[Slendermane 474]

Ah man, somebody already used the Rarity cutie mark example. I was going to use that argument. Oh well, I will just wing it. Personally, I think that it is a mix of free will and predestination. Rarity's special talent is finding gemstones, but she used that talent to support her hobby. I mean think about it. What does mining really have to do with dress making? She had the natural talent to find gems, but she chose how she would use it. Talents and personalities may guide them towards their cutie marks, but it is up to them how they use it.

Another thing is the symbols of the cutie marks themselves. The symbol must have some special meaning to that pony. Pinkie's special talent is making others happy, and sharing joy. She likes to do that through throwing parties, so her cutie mark is balloons. Fluttershy's special talent is taking care of and communicating with animals. The very first animals that she saw were butterflys, so her cutie mark is butterflys. The mark itself has special meaning to the pony it belongs to and no one else.

[LyraHeartstrings 479]

I wonder if the pony's cutie marks change if they find a new different special talent they were better at and like more than the one before. Like, what if a pony is great at building and get's a hammer for her cutie mark. Then, like 50 years later, she retires and begins gardening in her spare time. She then fins out that she enjoys gardening a lot more, and is better at it, and she feels like gardening is what she was meant to do. Would her cutie mark change, or would she just not get it until then?

[Evilshy 5,089]

I think cutie marks come from a combination of talent and happiness, like true happiness. Fluttershy got hers when she found out about all the creatures at ground level, and judging by her song, it was the happiest she had ever been up to that point.

 

Dash got hers achieving a sonic rainboom. It's obviously she likes flying and speed, and sonic rainboom is about as fast a Pegasus can get. Her cutie mark could represent her being the fastest pony in Equestria (the lightning bolt is rainbow colored, so that could be saying she's as fast a lightning, an exaggeration, but gets the point across).

 

AJ's cutie mark is 3 apples, and she got it, not while applebucking or anything like that, but when she realized she was happiest at home with her family.

 

Pinkies has been discussed, so I'll just point out that she got it by spreading her seemingy infinite happiness.

 

Rarity doesn't really follow this trend, however. She got hers finding a bunch of gems. However, she is unique in that her horn took her to what would trigger her cutie mark appearing, so I think she knew subconsciously what it was. Also, while her cutie mark is gems, it could also represent beauty in general (cuz gems have always been prized for the beauty) which is certainly directly related to her talent.

 

Twilight is also a bit different. I don't remember if she got while she was doin crazy magic in her Avatar State, or when celestia took her on as a personal student. If it's the latter, then it fits my theory just fine; she had been workin for this for a long time, and judging by her reactionand the whole "YESYESYESYESYES" thing, she was truly happy. If it was the former, I'm not sure. She could've been in a state of magical bliss accessible to only the most powerful unicorns, but the reason she looked distressed was because it was the first time it had happened and she was WTFing inside her head. The only other times she goes avatar state are when she uses the elements of harmony, and she's smiling in those times. But I'm know I'm just pulling stuff out of my ass here :/

 

 

Anyway, that's my 2 cents.

[faervczxdaghna 3]

I believe it is chosen at their birth but that it is your choice.

 

Like you are driving a race car around a track, sure you can drive wherever you want but what you should want is to get to that finish line, and your choice is probably going to be your choice anyway.

[Krall 263]

I remember Faust saying that the Cakes asked Pinkie to work for them, that's the only clue we really have. Most of the shops we've seen have been small, local businesses, so it's safe to assume that ponies open their own businesses (like Applejack operating her

own stand at the Gala.) This can be also supported by the medieval style setting the show has, and that's how most businesses were set up back then.

I feel like I'm writing essays here, haha

 

Write essays, by all means write essays! We're nerds, dear boy, discussions of the socio-economic structure of fictional equine realms are our bread and butter!

[Evilshy 5,089]

Speaking of pony essays, I am going to try to insert as many ponies as possible into my answers when I take the ACT later this month.

Edited October 15, 2011 by Evilshy

[Slendermane 474]

Speaking of pony essays, I am going to try to insert as many ponies as possible into my answers when I take the ACT later this month.

 

If a pegasus is flying from Cloudsdale to Canterlot at mach 1,...

Describe the angle of Rainbow Dashes trajectory when pulling up from a sonic rainboom.

Explain the physics of Twilight's teleportation spell.

 

I think I know how to make school interesting now.

[Spock 91]

Oh my head..