Twilight And Fluttershy Have Aspergers?

[Sugar Cube 4,843]

@@ScarfaceOne, Hello! Because your thread was asking whether or not Twilight had autism or aspergers, I merged your topic with a similar one that covers the same question (and also concerns Fluttershy as well). Just letting you know.

Edited April 27, 2014 by Sugar Cube

[Freewave 1,145]

I think its MUCH more likely that Maude Pie has aspbergers then someone from the mane 6. Maybe they are on the spectrum but certainly not full fledged.

[Ganondox 899]

OCD like traits are quite common in people on the Autism spectrum though and that sure was the case with me during my younger years and to a lesser extent right now but despite those traits I don't have OCD but am on the Autism spectrum. It is like I said in the last thread that brought up this topic, just because someone has traits belonging to a particular condition dosen't always mean they have it. I doubt that Lauren Faust intended Twilight or any other pony to have Autism but probably did intend her to have OCD, I don't normally diagnose fictional characters but Twilights case is obviously severe OCD which you don't need to be on the Autism spectrum to have.

She doesn't have OCD, or she does have OCD it would actually be fairly mild. OCPD does seem likely though. 

[SailorMedamonGirl1 127]

My bro has slight Aspergers, so I don't think Twilight/Fluttershy actually have it. If they did....they'd be huge jerks (my bro IS a jerk, not hating on anypony who has this). But I can see if someone might think they have it (in a way).

[Admiral Regulus 2,769]

Twilight:

 

1. Is obsessed with studying magic, and is highly knowlegable in that area.

 

2. Is socially awkward

 

3. She also has some inability to interpret other's emotions      

 

1. This is also a trait of highly gifted individuals. People with high intelligence often have an insatiable desire for knowledge.

 

2. I'll admit, she does rank high on the adorkability scale. She's very mild in comparison to aspies, though.

 

3. But she also has a great capacity to understand other's emotions in episodes in which she's a secondary character. I don't think an aspie would be able to play the supporting role that Twilight is often given in many episodes.

 

I don't think it's that she doesn't understand other's emotions, as an aspie doesn't. I think she has empathy but refuses to follow it in certain conditions. In the Canterlot wedding, for example, I think she knew she was making a wrong move by calling Cadence out, but she did it anyway because she knew she was right to do so.

 

In many episodes, her adorkable moments only arise because she gets too excited. She has the ability to empathize, she just loses sight of that ability when she's either stressed or overly excited. That's a human trait, not a trait of AS.

 

What suggests her AS-ity is something else entirely, I think. Twilight didn't have friends before the first episode, and that whole pilot was about her discovering that she needed friends. That's definitely an aspie thing. Most "normal" people intuitively understand that they need friends, and seek out friendships naturally without being forced into doing so.

 

1. Physical clumsiness- Fluttershy was a very poor flier during her time at a Pegasi school, where bullies made fun of her for not being able to fly welll

 

2. Inability to express emotions. However, persons with Aspergers also tend to have a very low temper, and as Fluttershy shows, can erupt.

 

3. Naive

 

4. Inability to understand others (except animals).

 

1. Good point, but Fluttershy never practiced as much as the other ponies. Her heart wasn't in it in the same way as RD, for example. How much of her poor flying ability is due to her not being a good flier, and how much of it is due to her just not giving a crap? That's just not who she is.

 

2. This is mostly out of fear. Fluttershy exhibits symptoms of social anxiety, not AS. People with AS often have social anxiety, but most people with social anxiety do not have AS.

 

3. Example? I think you're actually referring to her kindness, which is, y'know, her defining trait.

 

4. Again, example? I don't really see this one.

 

In all honesty, Twilight is far closer to displaying characteristics of AS than Flutters. Maud Pie, on the other hand...

 

I swear, Maud was written to be a character with AS. Tastefully so, of course. She's my favorite character outside of the mane six.

Edited October 11, 2014 by Regulus

[Singe 2,109]

Twilight's desire of knowledge and learning more is typical of characters who study magic like Merlin. Wizards, Witches, Sorcerers and Sorceresses will tend to live a secluded life away from other people to become better in magic, for the safety of people from experiments, and as to not be disturbed. 

Edited October 11, 2014 by Singe

[Mikey 1]

I've been taking psychology courses in college so I think I can make a better diagnosis. Fluttershy may or may not be on the autism spectrum even though she shows possible symptoms, there just isn't enough evidence to prove or disprove, we will have to have more information on her before drawing a conclusion. Twilight Sparkle on the other hand I can easily diagnose her with mild to moderate aspergers syndrome, her obsession with studying magic, social awkwardness, and in the latest episode Tanks for the memories(spolier alert) Twilight clearly does not show visible empathy and seems to have a hard time reading body language as well as social cues (however this can improve over time with a few moments in between). Twilight seems to be a classic example of an individual with aspergers but symptoms from autism are many and each individual may have several or few and few to no cases have the exact same symptoms or same severity.

Edited April 27, 2015 by Mikey

[RarityFan01 2,444]

Fluttershy has social anxiety. Some of the symptoms are similar to Asperger's, but it's not the same. 

 

Twilight is a book worm. If anything, she's OCD. 

[Skyling 14]

I find it that people tend to way, way overstate Twilight's "social awkwardness" - something she hasn't really exibited since episode 1 of season 1. And even then it's more about her lacking tact during interactions with others because she considered it a general waste of her time and had more important things on her mind (like saving the world from doom), not any particular inherent shyness or anxiety about talking to others.

 

Past that though, once she concluded that having friends is worthwhile after all, she hasn't been shy or limited in her social interactions at all - from organizing winter wrapup to doing Applejack's congratulatory speech in front of the whole town to participating in parties to singing in front of whole crowds to happily teaching swarms of little colts and fillies that want to learn from her. I'm simply not seeing this supposed social anxiety.

 

Sure, she likes to curl up with a book and simply read like always, but she isn't at all difficult to coax out of it if actually presented with something else to do and displays no particular anxiety about anything that isn't a task for Celestia she perceives as to be failing (or used to).

 

She had a bit of a workaholic tendencies (something she largely seems to have grown out of recently), a severe case of hero worship when it comes to Celestia and used to be hung up and stressed out about living up to expectations - which she probably had plenty of as Celestia's personal student since young age.

 

But not much about her inherent personality seems to suggest Aspergers to me.

[Ganondox 899]

OK. So i am autistic like some fans. But i was wandering and this has probably been discussed before. Does Twilight have Autism or Aspergers? She demonstrates habits like OCD and is worried about failure. In fact, did Lauren Faust want her to be autistic in the first place?

 

I'm going to link to this blogpost: http://autisminfiction.tumblr.com/post/118592811792/twilight-sparkle-friendship-is-magic

In short, it's not a yes by any means, but that doesn't mean it should be a no. 

 

"In fact, did Lauren Faust want her to be autistic in the first place?" Probably not, but it does kinda seem that just based on the premise of the show. 

[cider float 2,537]

I tend to not think about psychological disorders in a children's cartoon show. I just think that's their personality and how they fit in that community not if they have a disorder or not.

Edited July 29, 2015 by cider float

[Ganondox 899]

My bro has slight Aspergers, so I don't think Twilight/Fluttershy actually have it. If they did....they'd be huge jerks (my bro IS a jerk, not hating on anypony who has this). But I can see if someone might think they have it (in a way).

Rude, and not at all true. "If you've met one person with autism – you've met one person with autism." I'm sick and tired of people with one autistic family member or friend makes them experts on autism. 

I find it that people tend to way, way overstate Twilight's "social awkwardness" - something she hasn't really exibited since episode 1 of season 1. And even then it's more about her lacking tact during interactions with others because she considered it a general waste of her time and had more important things on her mind (like saving the world from doom), not any particular inherent shyness or anxiety about talking to others.

 

Past that though, once she concluded that having friends is worthwhile after all, she hasn't been shy or limited in her social interactions at all - from organizing winter wrapup to doing Applejack's congratulatory speech in front of the whole town to participating in parties to singing in front of whole crowds to happily teaching swarms of little colts and fillies that want to learn from her. I'm simply not seeing this supposed social anxiety.

 

Sure, she likes to curl up with a book and simply read like always, but she isn't at all difficult to coax out of it if actually presented with something else to do and displays no particular anxiety about anything that isn't a task for Celestia she perceives as to be failing (or used to).

 

She had a bit of a workaholic tendencies (something she largely seems to have grown out of recently), a severe case of hero worship when it comes to Celestia and used to be hung up and stressed out about living up to expectations - which she probably had plenty of as Celestia's personal student since young age.

 

But not much about her inherent personality seems to suggest Aspergers to me.

 

Aspergers is NOT the same thing as social anxiety. While people with aspergers often have social anxiety, it's not a requirement by any means. I do agree that her social awkwardness is overstated though. 

Edited July 29, 2015 by Ganondox

[cider float 2,537]

Autism and aspergers seems to be the new trend these days.

[Buttonmash1973 1,024]

Very interesting as I have autism.

[GuyNamedEarl 1,332]

I think Fluttershy has social anxiety

[Haruhi-chan 486]

My bro has slight Aspergers, so I don't think Twilight/Fluttershy actually have it. If they did....they'd be huge jerks (my bro IS a jerk, not hating on anypony who has this). But I can see if someone might think they have it (in a way).

I have a form of autism, and I'm not a jerk. I'm one of the greatest people you've ever met. FYI: Having autism, AS or not, doesn't affect one's personality. That's like saying all black people scream at each other and eat nothing but fried chicken. While, some of them might actually do this, not ALL of them actually do it (I'm not trying to be racist here... just trying to make a point). I think you need to learn more about this condition before you start judging others who have it. You're going to offend someone with it one day, just like you have me.

 

Anyway, to stay on topic... I did have a thought that Fluttershy was a bit autistic. I do relate to her a lot because I can be pretty shy and timid in certain social situations. However, I don't think she is because autism isn't always just due to social interaction. I do know that it's a spectrum, but from what I've skimmed here, there's only been very few autistic traits for both Twilight and Fluttershy. 

 

I agree that Fluttershy seems more like she'd have Social Anxiety. She gets nervous in social situations, and she does constantly worry about being judged by others, sometimes even by the other mane six. As for Twilight, I do see where people are coming from with her. However, she does treat her friends with a lot of respect as well. Most people with AS have a hard time actually maintaining friendships and such. I'm not saying they can't make friends. It's just harder for them to really find people they relate to. Twilight seems to go beyond that whole barrier with her friends, and she does seem willing to help others besides just her friends at times.

 

But that's just me...

[Zerbu 72]

To be honest, this discussion seems to be going nowhere. Neither side is right. Twilight and Fluttershy are fictional characters, they don't have complex brain structures. Only the writers or someone with official control over the show can define a "right" answer, and even then, it's debatable whether that counts if it's not explicitly stated in canon.

 

(I have AS myself just in case it's relevant to anyone)

Edited July 29, 2015 by Zerbu

[FoxyCryptid 4,328]

As someone with Aspergers (or High-Functioning Autism, whichever way you want to put it) I agree that Maud or Twilight would be the most likely, the later because I'm a lot like Twilight:

 

*Caring more about having a few close friends and interacting with them than doing things like parties, but having trouble making those friends

 

*Obsessions with weird things (this also ties into Maud with the rocks)

 

*Fond of alone time

 

*Dislike of failure.

I think Fluttershy likely just suffers from some sort of anxiety disorder.

[Ganondox 899]

I think Fluttershy has social anxiety

 

I KNOW she has social anxiety, lol. No debate there. The question is whether or not she has anything else in addition to social anxiety, or what the cause of said anxiety is. 

Edited July 29, 2015 by Ganondox

[Concerned Bystander 2,902]

Twilight:

 

1. Is obsessed with studying magic, and is highly knowlegable in that area.

 

2. Is socially awkward

 

3. She also has some inability to interpret other's emotions

 

 

 

Fluttershy- Personally I think that Fluttershy is more likely to be on the spectrum herself. She seems to be more comfortable around animals than ponies, that I think is fairly normal for persons with Aspergers as there's almost no fear of rejection (except for "The best night ever" where the animals kept running away)

 

1. Physical clumsiness- Fluttershy was a very poor flier during her time at a Pegasi school, where bullies made fun of her for not being able to fly welll

 

2. Inability to express emotions. However, persons with Aspergers also tend to have a very low temper, and as Fluttershy shows, can erupt.

 

3. Naive

 

4. Inability to understand others (except animals).

 

 

As I am not a trained psychologist, I unfortunately do not have the ability to explain everything in full. However, I hope that you might understand what I mean about these two characters having Asperger's Syndrome based on this information.         

 

None of the characteristics you list above are in any way peculiar to people with Asberger's, or unusual in the general population as a whole. 

 

The mane six are all common (if maybe a little exaggerated) personality archetypes.  They were after all intentionally written that way in order to allow any member of their target audience to recognise and identify with the character most like themselves, and be able to understand the issues faced by that character.

 

It's perfectly natural that having the condition yourself, you would look for it in characters that you like as a way of bonding with those characters.  But many other people with or without Autism spectrum disorders are able to recognise those same characteristics that they share with the characters.

 

We have seen repeatedly throughout the fandom that the adult audience have a tendency to over-analyse any aspect of the show that piques their own interests.