Does Maud Pie have Aspergers?

[TheMarkz0ne 962]

People project psychology into essentially anything. Because we want to escape reality and be these characters. I have aspergers and Maud Pie having that deficiency didn't even cross my mind. I thought my putting Chrysalis on a pedestal obsessions were worse.

[Sunny Fox 5,950]

That was beautiful. Really, that is an amazing message, my little sister (The one that got me into MLP) has autism and a mild case of aspergers (I don't really know what either of them are, she's a little disconnected but I love her.) She is the most amazing person in the world to me, but the other kids at school make fun of her and as a result she hates herself. That really shines a bright light on it!

 

I feel this to be just a wrong thing to say. He's not trying to "Project real world problems" like most people in the world he's associating it to something he knows to try to get a better grip on the situation. You say it like it's a bad thing, but since when was having aspergers a bad thing? You can ask her any character for any movie and she'll tell you! That's amazing! I'm 'normal' and I can't. Honestly I think aspergers is more of an ability. A beautiful mind.

I never meant to imply that having Aspergers is a "bad thing", and I apologize if I gave you that impression. I'm also sorry to hear that your sister gets teased for her condition, instead of being supported by her schoolmates. She's lucky to have someone like you to look after her.

 

That doesn't mean I agree that we have to give characters some deeper reason for being what they are. I wanted to know why people feel the need, and your response goes a way to explaining that. I don't feel it necessary to ascribe a real world problem to a character to better understand or relate to them, but maybe some people do.

 

I will admit to feeling a bit exasperated with it, but then, that's my own problem to deal with.

 

This type if behavior is not simply "expressing herself". Maybe in the context of the pony world if in which you believe mental health issues don't exist, but otherwise she clearly has some serious symptoms of Aspergers, Severe depression, and Apathy. Anyone like this in real life would be admitted into a mental health facility in no time

 

 

I don't see how you get depression out of Maud's demeanor. My mother suffers from depression, and her symptoms don't match up with Maud's at all. I think Maud puts it best herself, "I don't express my enthusiasm for things in the same way my sister does." That doesn't seem much like apathy to me either. It's not like she doesn't feel excited or enthusiastic, it's that it doesn't necessarily show it in her actions or expressions. Note also that Pinkie knew exactly how Maud was feeling, because she knows her sister better than the others do and can pick up on her feelings.

 

If I truly thought Maud was meant to have Aspergers, I wouldn't mind. If they talked about it in the show, and delivered some message like "it's okay to be different, and you're fine the way you are", that would be great. But I simply don't think that's the case here, and that's why it's a bit annoying to me.

[Shanks 10,816]

Anyone like this in real life would be admitted into a mental health facility in no time

In some parts of the world that would in fact be the case even in America and most other industrialized countries it wasn't that long ago that anyone who was the slightest bit different would be institutionalized. When I was first diagnosed with Autism at age 2 the doctor recommended putting me in an institution and this was in 1988 and if my parents listened to him I would not be where I am today. While we have come a long since then we still have a long way to go. People like Maud whether they have any condition or not do not belong in institutions at all, those should only be reserved for people whose conditions pose a threat to themselves and others and everything else has failed. I really do think that most people in institutions do not belong there.

 

 

People project psychology into essentially anything. Because we want to escape reality and be these characters. I have aspergers and Maud Pie having that deficiency didn't even cross my mind. I thought my putting Chrysalis on a pedestal obsessions were worse.

It is that, but it is also that there really aren't that many positive role models in fiction that have Aspergers or anything similar to it and a lot of people want character like Maud to have it out of wishful thinking in the hopes that perhaps it will educate people. I would like to see more of that myself but I just don't think that this wishful thinking by retroactively diagnosing characters is the answer to that nor is it to simply shoe horn such characters in either. With how complicated this issue is there is about as much that can go wrong with having a confirmed character with that as can go right so I think if they are going to introduce character with that than it may be a good idea to introduce more than one in order to bring home the point just how broad the spectrum truly is.

[Princess Lona 382]

When she first showed up and was being very blunt and direct, I was immediately reminded of a friend of mine who has Aspergers. Then when the other ponies were feeling very awkward and uncomfortable but Maud didn't seen to notice or be affected by it, I thought of my friend again. He has told me that he is unable to "feel the vibe" of a situation so he doesn't notice when people think he's being weird. So at first I definitely thought the episode was going to be about learning to understand and make friends with Aspies. But once I saw the end of the episode, I realized that they made Maud a bland, awkward character as a plot device in order to get to the lesson. It needed to be impossible for the ponies to make friends with Maud in order to show that not everyone is going to click with everyone else and that's okay.

[ShadOBabe 18,997]

 

 

Having aspergers doesn't make you stupid.

 

But it can make you oblivious to social cues. People that don't get that will often think you're just thick.

Having Aspergers, I've been both praised for my eye for detail, and criticized for my obliviousness concerning other's feelings.

 

But the latter HAS lessened as I've gotten older. Quirks that come with Asperger's can be altered with experience and training. And if I heard her correctly, Pinkie said Maud is going to be getting her, ahem, "Rock-dorates" and is going on a research trip. So Maud's an adult and has had years to learn how to interact with people. Just as I've come to learn what cues to look for in others, Maud could see the Pinkie's friends were uncomfortable around her.

 

But as someone said, Maud could have just picked this attitude up from living on the Rock Farm.

[ShadOBabe 18,997]

I kind of thought she did because of this exchange:

 

Rarity: I didn't know you were funny.

Maud:...What do you mean?

 

LOL!! Don't forget, "It doesn't talk. It's a dress."

[Shanks 10,816]

When she first showed up and was being very blunt and direct, I was immediately reminded of a friend of mine who has Aspergers.

Yes she reminded me of myself and so many other aspies I know and I think that is one of the reasons so many are quick to diagnose Maud. I had a lot of trouble learning how to interact socially, I was even worse than Twilight was during the beginning of the series. I can't even begin to tell you how many times my big mouth has gotten me into trouble when I wasn't even intending to be rude, it can still happen to me every now and then even to this day.

 

For example many years ago I saw this lady and her dog and I said referring to her dog "she looks just like you." The lady didn't say anything or seem to take any offense that I was aware of but my Mom explained to me afterwards how even though I didn't intend any insult from that statement that some people might take it the wrong way. There was this other aspie I have known since I was a little kid and when we were in high school he would go up to people and hug them because he is a very friendly affectionate guy but it had to be explaining to him that people might misinterpret that as a sexual advance. I would disagree about Maud being bland, awkward definitely though. There were so many gears turning in my head throughout the episode as to what was going on inside her head, alot of more quiet and introverted people can be highly intelligent and I suspect that is the case with Maud as well. There are just so many things they could do with a character like Maud Aspergers or not.

[Adorkable 2,737]

Why do fans constantly have to try to project real world psychological problems onto characters in this show?

 

This.

 

I'm not against a pony every once in a while having a little thing going on (like Derpy<3).

 

But it doesn't have to be every single pony.

[Denim&Venöm 18,346]

Admittedly, being an Asbergers person myself (yay, great, another one...), Maud having those symptoms never crossed my mind. But it does make sense now that i think about it. She has a very narrow field of focus, rocks, and has become knowledgeable on that field. She didn't quite notice that the mane 6 didn't share her enthusiasm with rocks, as most aspergers patients tend to miss social ques and get a little too rapped up in their interests. Conversely, Maud seemed bored or disinterested in the interests of the others, something I go through.

 

People will talk to me about things they like, but ultimately I'm not interested, so I say, "yeah that's cool" and back out of the conversation before I embarrass myself or hurt their feelings. I can't connect well with people. I miss social cues and most emotions, which is why I minimize conversations. Even at last years Bronycon, I was surrounded with 8000 other people who shared my interest, and could barley hold a conversation with any of them before I instinctively backed out. I was by myself for most of the time. Still had fun and wasn't lonely once, but still wonder about all the friends I missed out on making because of my social awkwardness and ineptitude.

 

So yeah, I wouldn't be surprised.

[KetGolosov 1]

Being an Asperger person myself, I found some features of Maud's character similar to mine, as Venom&Denim did.

[Frosty Nerd 833]

I think she does, and there is no problem with that. It's teaching kids that you can be friends with any kind of person.

[Pinkamena-Pills 6,839]

I din't even read the previous 3 pages so ya...

 

 

 

I just came to say this:

 

Does it matter if Maud Pie has Aspergers?..No,it does not.

 

I like Maud,and she can have or not have Aspergers all day and night for all i care as long as she stays the stone whispering Maud Pie that i love.

[Shawn Parks 1,798]

I don't know about Maude, but I knew a girl with Aspergers who acted very much like Pinkie.

[Odyssey 5,715]

Nope. Just because Maud is the way she is doesn't mean she's an Aspie.

 

It's pretty silly to say that people with Asperger's/autism are anti-social and quiet, because not every one of them are like this. -3-

[Treble Bolt 1,122]

The world of MLP makes it an invalid argument as to whether or not a pony has a mental or physical disorder. Maud is the way she is because the creators wanted the polar opposite to Pinkie Pie. It doesn't matter if Maud has Asperger's or not, she is a great character with an interesting personality who is accepted and cherished in the world of MLP. And that we can apply to reality!

[Pastel 7,630]

I thought @Sunny Fox had ended the topic?

Anyway I totally agree with him.

Edited June 26, 2014 by Blobulle

[baltosaa 86]

I agree, this obsession with aspergers is getting annoying.

 

Does adding a lable make it any different.

 

Aspergers is defined as:

 

: a developmental disorder resembling autism that is characterized by impaired social interaction, by repetitive patterns of behavior and restricted interests, by normal language and cognitive development, and often by above average performance in a narrow field against a general background of deficient functioning.

 

I got news for y'all... if we look hard enough... we ALL have Aspergers in some form or another.

 

So what if she does, people are who they are and ponies are who they are. Maud likes rocks (and in the right industry, that's one hell of a career) I applaud her obsession with rocks, much like AJs obsession with the apple farm, Twilights book nerdyness, Rarity's business ownership and all the others.

 

Does Maud need a thousand friends on her Facebook? No, excitement for her is defined in other ways.

 

As one who has spent many a day around rocks. Moving them from one place to another, I can say this... although she will never replace Rarity and Luna in my heart... Maud Rocked

^Thank you.

Its amazing how many people will confuse "Aspergers" with mental illness.

It's a PERSONALITY-TYPE. It is very simple. Getting pretty tired of people who don't do research.

I "have" "Aspergers" too, and it isn't a mental illness. It's just personality. :/

[Zenit 190]

She can relate to aspies but she's definitely NOT one. 

[Darker 1,351]

I doubt that she has, I know people with Aspergers, and they don't have the same characteristics or the same way to be.

[velociraptor24 3]

My Mom, and I both think so. Monotone voice, obsession with a certain thing, not showing much enthusiasm, last but not least: not getting other people to relate to her, and apearing weird to other people. Yep, definitely.

[Venomous 18,859]

I don't think that she has Aspbergers Syndrome.

 

We kmow that she was taised on the rock farm where everything was bland, grey, boring, and probably miserable.

The enviornment shaped her.

[sweetolebob18 728]

I've been watching TV since the 1950s. Medical problems come into fashion & go out of style. Right now, Autism (especially Asperger's) is hot & has been for several years. (The show Parenthood has 2 characters with this problem, for instance). Maud seems to have many of the symptoms as they are shown on TV.

 

On the other hand, maybe she knows a lot about rocks because she grew up on a rock farm & became a geologist. Maybe she isn't good at interpersonal relationships because she lived a pretty isolated life on that farm & just hasn't had that much practice. As to her pet rock, back in the 70s, it seemed like 1/2 the people I knew had pet rocks & the rest swore by the healing power of crystals.

 

What I think is weird is Pinkie's total inability to predict that rockslide. I mean, she grew up on a rock farm. That's the best she can do about stacking rocks?

 

If you are talking about "inappropriate emotional responses", Pinkie practically wrote the book. She usually seems completely oblivious to the concept that there are things in the world that might harm her. Even if they are actively trying to kill her, it usually doesn't sink in. I point to "Pinkie Apple Pie" (best nameless monster EVER!) or her behavior in "Canterlot Wedding" part 2.

 

When she does notice her usual response is to freeze ("Maud Pie" or "Feeling Pinkie Keen", for instance)

Edited November 27, 2014 by sweetolebob18

[Soldier Surplus 232]

It would be cool if she did.(relates to me more that I thought) I would like her personality more than I already do.

[Pinkie-Sparkle 254]

Ehm no.. :/
That's just silly, sorry. Why would someone who has autism/aspergers be emotionless? People with autism/aspergers are not emotionless at all. Maybe they find it hard to express their emotions, but they're not emotionless.......

[Shawn Parks 1,798]

Ehm no.. :/

That's just silly, sorry. Why would someone who has autism/aspergers be emotionless? People with autism/aspergers are not emotionless at all. Maybe they find it hard to express their emotions, but they're not emotionless.......

 

 

Yeah, I don't know why anyone would think that.  As I said in an earlier post, the one person I have met who I know has Aspergers was very much like Pinkie Pie.  She expressed a lot of emotion all the time.