Regarding cutie marks and talent (I feel like this needs to be said.)

[Derpular 90]

All right, I just really want to get this out there.

A lot of people seem to think that having a cutie mark would be holding them back in some way, that it controls what you do. That's not the case, at least I don't think so. I think they've gotten the idea from Magical Mystery Cure, but the way I see it is not that the Mane 6's cutie marks forced them into these jobs, but that, since those were their cutie marks, what they represent must have been what they were good at and chose to do... so why didn't they enjoy it? Why couldn't they do it right?

But anyway, what I wanted to talk about, mostly, is talent.

I've noticed a bit of talk about how you could get a cutie mark in something you don't like. True, you can be good at something you don't like. You can try something and be good at it, but the thing is, if you don't enjoy it, you won't put the time and energy into it that would make you truly talented.

For example, I'm a writer. I know my cutie mark would have to do with writing. True, the ability to be a good writer was in me most of my life. But if I didn't enjoy writing, I wouldn't write or strive to become better at writing, and without that, it's not talent- simply potential. So while you may have potential in something you don't care for, you'll only get a cutie mark if it's really what you want to do.

[Sir.Flutter Hooves 2,953]

I really do think the cutie mark decides what you do. If Rainbowdash, in Magical Mystery Cure wanted do something else, why didn't she? Because of her cutie mark. That also appilies to every other pony.

 

/)

[~Silver Essence~ 2,625]

Agreeing with Flutter Hooves, it is their destiny based on their cutie marks.

I would say that is somewhat unfair in real life, as everyone is open to many possibilites. 

[IronPuddinG 249]

People actually thought that?

Huh.

Well, I agree with you 100%.  I think a Cutie Mark more signifies what, as you said, the character is best at.  Not necessarily what the particular character enjoys the most.  But, in Equestria, it seems like that is what most are confined to doing.  It would be doubtful to find a pony with their Cutie Mark being, say the entertainer's happy/sad masks and working at the local flower shop.  The mark itself doesn't confine the pony to a particular career, but, at least from what I've seen in the social world, it does.  I would imagine that you might get a few curious looks and questions as to why you aren't working a career that you're supposedly good at.  As pony, it might be considered taboo, even if it isn't (seeing a physciatrist pre-2000s) to be working a career that goes against 'what your Cutie Mark is telling you'.

Just my thoughts.

Editted for clarity.

Edited April 20, 2013 by Protis Sniper

[Skye Starlight 223]

I must agree with Sir.Flutter Hooves and DX SilverX, even though it seems unfair...

 

But in Equestria, destiny is a kind, unjudgemental thing. I think it's determined before you are born, but your destiny only becomes apparent once you have it. But the spell mixed up something... It made up memories and switched their marks. I don't think the spell changed their destiny or their talent. It just made those affected think it was their destiny or talent.

 

Otherwise, how would it have been so simple to change them back?

Also, Fluttershy's remark when she realized her connection to animals. "I feel like this is who I am, this is what I'm meant to do... Like this is, my destiny!"

Their talents and destiny weren't switched, just their marks and memories. It made them think it was what they were meant to do, and made memories to back it up, but it didn't actually change their destiny or talents.

[Derpular 90]

 

 

It would be doubtful to find a pony with their Cutie Mark being, say the entertainer's happy/sad masks and working at the local flower shop. 

 

What about Pinkie Pie? She works at Sugarcube Corner, but her talent is making ponies smile, not baking. She does make ponies smile, but it's not her official career.

[Nature's Spell 526]

This is another of those situations where the writers are not always consistent. However, MMC strongly hints that cutie marks, destiny, and life's work are closely linked. In other words, ponies always do what they love and are best at and I'd assume nopony feels unfulfilled, or is left searching for themselves. Now Trixie seems to defy that logic because she seems unhappy with her life and is not fulfilled. Now I can't explain that except that the writers just wanted her that way for a good story. The issue with MMC is that their true selves were still there, but hidden by their new cutie mark. Helping their friends and doing their "jobs" helped them to remember that. Remember who they were.

 

I don't get the confusion either.

Edited April 26, 2013 by Nature Spell

[Scootalove 10,689]

I think whatever your destiny is and your talent ties into each other which leads to what your cutie mark will be. Destinies determine what your talent is and what your cutie mark talent will reveal.

[hawkflame 3,310]

People actually thought that?

Huh.

Well, I agree with you 100%.  I think a Cutie Mark more signifies what, as you said, the character is best at.  Not necessarily what the particular character enjoys the most.  But, in Equestria, it seems like that is what most are confined to doing.  It would be doubtful to find a pony with their Cutie Mark being, say the entertainer's happy/sad masks and working at the local flower shop.  The mark itself doesn't confine the pony to a particular career, but, at least from what I've seen in the social world, it does.  I would imagine that you might get a few curious looks and questions as to why you aren't working a career that you're supposedly good at.  As pony, it might be considered taboo, even if it isn't (seeing a physciatrist pre-2000s) to be working a career that goes against 'what your Cutie Mark is telling you'.

Just my thoughts.

Editted for clarity.

 

 

I think it's a combination of what they're best at and what they enjoy the most.  That certainly is true for the mane Six.  And I don't think that the cutie marks necessarily have to directly correlate with a job.  I would guess that, like in the real world, there are jobs you do because its your passion, and there are jobs you do because they pay the bills.  Rainbow's official job is manipulating the town weather, but her cutie mark came from her passion for speed.  Pinkie Pie too- she's a clerk at Sugarcube Corner, not a professional party planner.

 

As for the pony with the drama masks working at a flower shop... I'd just think he's an asipring actor who takes odd jobs to pay the bills.

[Anadu Kune 668]

Im not really sure why MMM has people so confused about cutie marks. I think they went out of their way to state that the cutie marks weren't the only thing switched, their destinies were switched through the elements of harmony. Their entire life paths were switched which is made evident by the fact that they switched pretty much everything save for their core personalities. This included memories, living spaces, and cutie marks. The elements switched a heck of a lot more than the cutie marks.

So why the focus on them? Well as has been very firmly established a cutie mark is a huge part in a pony's self identity. Gaining one is a huge exciting event of self discovery worthy of celebration. It is shown to be more than just finding something you enjoy doing. It seems to correlate with your very essence and place in the world. A cutie mark doesn't govern what the pony does. Barring powerful magical spells/potions they come about when the pony has discovered what they are meant to do. The cutie mark is a major affirmation of their discovery, an image for all to see. Of coarse the cutie mark is hugely, irrevocably connected to the major events in the pony's life it would have to be. So with that said I think the cutie mark is more complicated than people think it is, just look at Twilight's.

It should be mentioned that background pony's cutie marks wont be as well thought out(if at all) and there will be weird ones. This is of coarse because the background ponies are just put there to fill out the scene. So your gonna get weird cutie marks like Derpy's. 

Edited April 20, 2013 by Anadu Kune

[Princess Lona 382]

Something that I've always found weird is how the names of the ponies often match their cutie marks. It's one thing for some spririt of destiny or affirmation to give the ponies a mark that signifies their talent, it is quite another for that pony's mortal parents to know what to name their foal so he or she will match their future cutie mark. This doesn't happen with eveypony, but it happens often enough to be significant. Take Rainbow Dash for example. Her parents might see the rainbow mane and name her accordingly, but how did they know she was going to be so Dashing? And Rarity. Her special talent is finding rare and hidden gems (as outlined in The Cutie Mark Chronicles). How did her parents know that's what she would do? Diamond Tiarra and Silver Spoon have cutie marks that match their names exactly, and Diamond Tiarra's filthy rich father's name is Filthy Rich! Shining Armour has a name that reflects his destiny as a Captain of the royal guard, and then there's the entire Apple familly and the Cakes. What gives? Have I missed any?

 

edited to remove an extra pronoun.

Edited April 20, 2013 by Princess Lona

[MyLittlePonyTales 273]

I think that, whatever Cutie Mark you get for whatever talent, it doesn't control your fate. Rarity's spell is gem finding... not dress making. Yet, that's what she does for a living, and what she enjoys. She found a way to incorporate her special talent into her job, into doing something she loved. Just because you're talent in something, doesn't mean that that will be the only path you can follow. You'd think Rarity would be a miner, being good at gem finding, right?

 

And what about Cheerilee? Her mark is smiling flowers. Like, what does that even mean? I know she explained it in an episode, something about watching her students blossom, but really, marks can have different meanings.

 

I have heard that too, about people playing OCs that get a talent they don't like. I don't think that's possible. I mean, Rarity didn't even know what her talent was going to be, it was forced on her. But she doesn't hate it. The way Equestria works, your Cutie Mark will match you in some way. I mean, Twilight Sparkle got her mark almost on accident. It wasn't some meaningful revelation like with Rarity, she just used a lot of magic and then she got a weird mark. It wasn't until later in life that she found out what it meant. So that can happen to, where you have a mark but don't know what it means. But I don't think that anypony would ever hate their mark, or get one they didn't like. Equestria is not like Earth, where you might end up in a career you hate or a dead end job. Their world doesn't work like ours.