Has MLP Saved Anyone Elses Soul and Faith in Humanity?

[MJDudeK 226]

I won't go into specifics, but lets just say the last 7 years i went through a very dark time and right when I decided to change things around (and I mean that day) I found my Brony Skin and it fulled my ambition to get through. Not only that but it gave me Hope in my own life and Hope in people that join a community that believe in such care and love for others! As I said before, the show itself is well written and animated and the fact that it has such a great moral basis leaves me speechless that there is a show like that now a days instead of new aged garbage that the media says will pay off. The community and fans are such an awesome group and the media they produce inspires me the more! I won't ramble, I was just wondering if anyone else felt the same way?

[Dusknight Haze 161]

In a nutshell, I haven't had the same rapturous experience as you, although I do find the series and its fandom a well-needed break from both the stupidity of other fandoms I have been tangentially related to (looking at you, general anime-watchers and especially fans of Code Geass) and the cynicism and darkness of television and visual media in general (looking at you, cable TV).

 

Basically I watch MLP in between marathoning breaking bad and scrambling from class to class. It's nice to have something where I can just absorb the utterly adorable characters, humor, great animation, and light-hearted tone instead of racking my brain over complicated symbolism and plots and such. It's also a great distraction from the looming stresses (i.e. bills) life can present. 

 

As for the fandom, while it has its bad elements (of which I do not need to name), and the general consensus of the group can get kind of weird, it is, I must say, greatly better than almost every other fandom I have seen. From the amazing talent it seems to draw, to the utter enthusiasm its members present over the material, to the acceptance of the actual morals and lessons the show attempts to teach, it's pretty heartwarming.

 

Despite all that, I still don't call myself a brony by any means. I just prefer to enjoy the show and interact with other people who do so as well, rather than present a label, but to each their own, I suppose.

 

I am glad you found it so well.

[TheMangoPony 146]

Definitely man, I can definitely sympathize with you on that one. I'm sure our situations were probably different but the results were the same in that it helped me though a very dark time and really fueled my ambition to get through, like you say. So I definitely hear what you're saying and just wanna say I'm so happy you got through and feel that way and that the show had helped you so much to make it.

And if you ever happen to feel like talking about it, feel free man.

Edited September 3, 2013 by TheMangoPony

[MJDudeK 226]

In a nutshell, I haven't had the same rapturous experience as you, although I do find the series and its fandom a well-needed break from both the stupidity of other fandoms I have been tangentially related to (looking at you, general anime-watchers and especially fans of Code Geass) and the cynicism and darkness of television and visual media in general (looking at you, cable TV).

 

Basically I watch MLP in between marathoning breaking bad and scrambling from class to class. It's nice to have something where I can just absorb the utterly adorable characters, humor, great animation, and light-hearted tone instead of racking my brain over complicated symbolism and plots and such. It's also a great distraction from the looming stresses (i.e. bills) life can present. 

 

As for the fandom, while it has its bad elements (of which I do not need to name), and the general consensus of the group can get kind of weird, it is, I must say, greatly better than almost every other fandom I have seen. From the amazing talent it seems to draw, to the utter enthusiasm its members present over the material, to the acceptance of the actual morals and lessons the show attempts to teach, it's pretty heartwarming.

 

Despite all that, I still don't call myself a brony by any means. I just prefer to enjoy the show and interact with other people who do so as well, rather than present a label, but to each their own, I suppose.

 

I am glad you found it so well.

Well Put. But that's what I love about it, "To each its own." It's about what the show promotes, Love and Tolerance! You just never see that anymore, everywhere else its like, "Like what we like or your not cool." and that's so empty and meaningless. I've said this before but like what you like and do what you do because in the end you are left with You! Just because the show has such an emotional pull to me doesn't mean it has that same effect to everyone and that is a good thing because everyone is different. People should join together and love one another and tolerate the differences so we can grow as a world instead of pointing out individual flaws and faults and extorting them for money or self gain. It's about acceptance and that's what I love about this community! Ohh.. and btw Breaking Bad is an Incredible Show! Bryan Cranston is an acting artistic Genius! 

Edited September 3, 2013 by MJDudeK

[Shanks 10,816]

I wouldn't go so far as to say that it has restored my faith in humanity, but it has helped with my depression brought back my creative side and has been a nice escape to help keep my sanity.

[Scootalove 10,689]

Restoring my soul and faith in humanity, wouldn't exactly be because of the show but I have to say that it deleted my depression completely. The show also brought my creativity to life.

[TomokoKuroki 1,707]

No. It just makes those thoughts go away for a short period of time. for me, 1 tv show can't cover for what humanity has done now, and in the past. Before FiM people were idiots, with FiM there are still idiots out there.

 

It's a cool show, but it isn't life changing to me.

[Bonko 73]

Well in different ways, it did have me see that there's still good kind of people out there.

There's groups that makes brony culture music that donate a percentage or all of their funds to charity.

[NocturnalTwilight 32]

The time I started watching MLP was right when I finished High School, I was home alone a lot, parents were always working and such. I never really had a lot of friends, I maybe had 2, one of them is the biggest jerk in the world, and the other was a childhood best friend who started walking with the wrong crowd, and lead to our friendship crumbling before us. When I was a kid, I never really thought of it being a big deal to make a lot of friends, I always had my video games and toys to play with. The 2 friends I did have kept being pushed farther and farther, until I felt alone and empty inside, like I was never going to have any friends again. I started watching MLP then and felt a new light begin to shine, the show made me happy. I later on discovered what a wonderful, friendly community this fandom had, and found myself making friends left and right. I found out that one of my old friends was actually a Brony as well, now I can proudly say he's my best friend. After all this, I can honestly say that Friendship really is Magic.

[techno915 408]

This show definitely gives me faith in humanity. In a world where "16 and pregnant" is becoming more and more reality, it's great to know that there are still shows that show how people are supposed to act for a better world. There are episodes that show us not to judge others. There are episodes that tell us we make mistakes, but it's never the end. We can all learn from this show and I find that absolutely amazing! This is one of the main reasons why I love this show so much. The only show that matches this on my list of favorites is Doctor Who, and that says a lot. 

 

This may seem a bit odd of a combo (one is generally seen as girly, the other is Sci-fi), but there is something about Doctor Who that I love. He is the most awesome pacifist you will EVER meet. He never wants to kill anyone because he knows that every creature deserves a chance to make itself better. Whenever anypony is in a situation where it seems like nothing can make it better, the mane 6 comes to show them otherwise. This, along with the virtues that I have seen throughout the episodes, give me hope in humanity. I just wish more of humanity was willing to see this and apply the good from the show in their lives.

[MichaelxXxTrixie 433]

It really has removed depression from my life and gives me something to think about. Now I never really hated humanity, that was more so a side-effect of the depression. It showed me some really nice creativity, some good morals to attempt to live up to, and the Fandom is not like any other Fandom I've seen.

[~Silver Essence~ 2,625]

Well, I'll be honest, for a little girls show, it calms me down and stops my depression at times.

 

It's weird because NO other cartoon has managed to do that.

 

I also have to thank the fandom for why I get like this.

[ReverseFaller 2,483]

Yeah, it's helped me a lot. Like a lot of people on these forums, I have some depression issues. Also all of the horrible things that humans do to each other every day didn't help either. My Little Pony is a day brightener. No other show has ever made me happier like this one. The fandom is wonderful too. It shows me that there are still tons of great people out there.

[Misty Shadow 7,849]

I haven't told a lot of people this, but I fell into major depression a year back, which was quite a while after I started being a brony. So my answer would obviously be no, but if a TV show can save someone's soul from misery and utter depravity of joy, that truly is awesome.

[Nightmare Night 151]

When I started middle school my life stated spiraling downwards. My parents were constantly fighting-breaking up-getting back together-breaking up again. This left me unable to form proper relationships with others resulting in extreme anti-social behavior and shutting all my emotions inside me. This continued on and every day seemed to just get worse and worse. I was picked on all throughout my middle school years and the 1 year of high school I did before I got skipped up 3 grades and graduated. the entire time I only had a small handful of friends and 1 girl who I thought cared about me. I was on the verge of killing myself. the only reason I'm still here is that I didn't want my family to have to go through life knowing I killed myself. I never told any of them how depressed I was inside. Once I turned 18 I moved up from Jacksonville Florida to Hamilton Ohio to start my life over. I had a part time job arranged for me at my aunts restaurant where I worked for 1 year before starting a new job at Wendy's for a year and then to Wal-Mart where I still currently work. I didn't feel much better about myself even at this point I just kind of drifted through everyday wishing I had a way out. But I found an amazing TV show that shined a light into my soul and introduced me to an amazing community that helped me deal with my inner problems. That show was My Little pony: Friendship is Magic. I met some amazing friends 1 who was also a brony which inspired me to be open about being a brony. And 2 who are haters of the show but for some reason accept me as a friend even knowing I'm a brony. Without this show and its fandom and the few friends in real life I probably wouldn't be typing this right now. So in short I want to give a huge thanks to Lauren Faust and the rest of the MLP staff and another huge thanks to the entire fandom. As well as my friends IRL who wont be reading this. 

 

 

Wow sorry for the wall of text I just started typing and got lost in myself for a min. thanks to whoever actually takes the time to read my rambling. I didn't mean for it to be a short story of my life but hey...why not.

Edited September 3, 2013 by Nightmare Night

[Harmony And Rarity 195]

MLP Forums is my medication. I go on it everyday so I don't lose my faith in humanity. You guys are the best!

 

(Not trying to get past the minimum)

[AnonBrony 1,468]

Well, it definitely has changed who I am and saved my faith in humanity. If I had never discovered this show, I wouldn't be the person I am today, and well, that's a good thing, I changed for the better. I've learned a lot in the past 2 and half years I've been in this wonderful fandom. I've become more open minded and less judgmental towards others. I've become more optimistic and positive about things. I've also learned about myself too.

 

If I never were a Brony, humanity would seem like utter shit right now, what with everything going on in this forsaken world. But, after seeing what this community can do, all the creativity, the art, music, love towards others, the charity, the happiness it spreads, how can I ever lose hope for us if we can accomplish what this community has done here in its past three years its been alive. 

 

Not only all of that, but this fandom also helped me get into a bunch of other things like Doctor Who and even Ace Attorney, both of which I've also learned from as well. So really I have a lot to be thankful for because of this fandom. I guess that means the answer to you question would be yes then. Of course it is, and I'm grateful for it. Thank you, everyone. You all, are simply brilliant.

Edited September 3, 2013 by AnonBrony

[Metemponychosis 1,260]

My faith in humanity is lost. What this awesome cartoon does to me is inspire some good feelings.

It literally makes life a lot more bearable. To me, that's enough. I just don't think that I should expect the cartoon the make me feel good about the obnoxious and annoying people iI have to live with.

 

Fortunately, this forum also puts me in contact with some really nice people. And I'm here because of the show.

[FoxyCryptid 4,330]

In a way, even though it's a uphill struggle to not see see the world as a complete hellhole with the way people want talk about the bad stuff endless and shove the good stuff off to the side as filler.

 

Between the show and fanworks it helped me get back in touch with my own emotions. Through that I think I've think I found some connection with some part of me beyond mere blood, flesh, and bone.    

Edited September 3, 2013 by Shoboni

[They call me Loyalty 1,948]

There isn't much hope in humanity beneath my heart, it would be nice, but there isn't. I just feel pressure, trying to slowly destroy any faith that is left inside of me. They already dissapointed me so many times, and I don't even know why I still keep helping them.

MLP is more like a relief for my soul, after many years carrying this heavy burden. My body isn't able to breath well when my sensibility chakra, more specificly onto the center of my chest, gets infected by negative energetic frecuencies. If I let that continue on, then I start to lose sensibility to everyone and everything surrounding me, and that barrier between light and darkness, gets blurry, making life grim, even more. Then I end up doing things that I'll probably regreat later, just for the sake of a selfish need, mine. In order to be able to breath again in harmony and peace, but still by selfish means.
Killing my own heart a little bit, in order to save it. Such an irony.

So MLP gave that hope that I usually can't find in most of common humans. And it saved me many times from that state of decadence.

Apologies for my english, it isn't my first language.

Edited September 4, 2013 by They call me Loyalty

[Ember Gleam 167]

*from an earlier post I made:

 

Having been deployed to Iraq as well as Afghanistan well..... needles to say I have definetly experienced the darker side of humanity (war). However, thats where MLP comes in! I watch the show and participate in the Brony comunity to help remind me of the good and love thats in people and to focus on the positives in life not the negatives. Seing as I have severe PTSD, MLP has become my medicine/cure. Rock on Bronies u rule!

[Harmony And Rarity 195]

^ Thats the same reason I like MLP. Only I am not in the army. But Thanks for serving our country and risking you life for a better future I salute you! Time for a brohoof. /)

[Gigapony 650]

I hate to be that guy, but... if anything, liking MLP has actually made my faith in humanity worse than it was (and it was already pretty bad).

 

Being a brony has added one more item to the long list of ammunition people have to use against me, as yet another unpopular or strange hobby I've taken up, and it's exposed me to some really poor aspects of humanity (both outside and within the fandom). I will say that the MLP fandom is one of the better ones, but it's not special. It contains all of the same bad bits that all other fandoms have, which I will admit was a bit disappointing. Plus there's the added bonus of us being society's favourite punching bag.

 

All that horrible stuff being said, the cartoon itself is a marvellous way to escape depression for a small moment, and the show has led me to find many fun moments and new experiences. So for that I am grateful to have found MLP.

[TheMangoPony 146]

Well, everyone seems to be opening up, and I enjoyed reading your stories about how ponies have helped, so I suppose I'll give a brief description of my story. I don't really talk about it cause it's in my past now, and I'm back to my stupidly positive happy self these days, but...

 

Anyway, last Christmas I lost my fiance to mental illness. Her mind slipped pretty quickly, she stopped sleeping for weeks at a time, and one day forgot who I was(she knew my name and remembered we had history together, but that's about it) and started giving away all her possessions and shaved half her hair off. She cancelled her university classes, quit her job, took up drinking and two days before her birthday (Jan 14) she just left to go be homeless. I did everything I could to help but I was pretty powerless.

 

Worst experience of my life.

 

To say I lost my faith in humanity would be an understatement.

I sorta just quit life for a while.

Anyway... lets cut to the good part.

 

On Valentines day, my niece made me a Valentine with a pony on it. That valentine was what kept me going for a long time. Eventually, I decided to try watching the show. I instantly connected with the characters, and they reminded me of who I used to be, who I was, what I believed in, and where I needed to be. Fluttershy reminding me how I valued being kind to people, and brought back my ability to love myself. Pinkie reminding me of my positive self who's favorite thing was to make people smile, and brought back my love of the world. Rainbow Dash just reminded me to keep being awesome and brought back my never say die attitude. 

(the other ponies are great, but there's a reason those are my favorite 3, other than their sheer awesomeness, haha)

 

Anyway, it was a beacon of light for me and I could always turn to ponies to make me smile. It got me through what seemed hopeless and gave me the strength and will to battle through it. I am ever grateful. And... now I'm a stupidly positive, life loving person again . *looks back* whoops, I said brief... My bad.   lol. 

[MJDudeK 226]

When I originally posted this thread, I thought there would be a lot more disagreements. Lets just say I am absolutely thrilled to read all of your posts and find that the show and community helped so many people! Doctors should start prescribing the show instead of anti-depressants. Though I would never say I was really "depressed" (even through all those terrible years) just lost and stuck, but It fills my heart with warmth that people were able to turn there depression around and learn to live and love again do to a show that brought a lot of people together to help and love one another! I am sincerely Happy for all of you and Hope it saves more in need!