While we wait. · 1:52am Jun 9th, 2012
Okay, I just had the oddest character discussion with my best friend regarding Twilight sparkle, and her psychological state of mind.
My friend says that Twilight is a humble, hard working soul with a crippling inferiority complex, who wishes only for approval from Celestia.
I say, that she is in fact a closet Narcissist who tears herself down for being less than her ideal of perfection.
My point rests on two things:
First: Lesson Zero, the want it need it spell.
nar·cis·sist
/ˈnɑrsəsɪst/ [nahr-suh-sist]
noun
1.
a person who is overly self-involved, and often vain and selfish.
Twilight, selfish? Not at first glance, but it was awfully 'charitable' of Twilight to start a friendship problem to live up to her own unrealistic expectations. Totally selfless, that move.
Second: The craving for Celestia's approval.
Celestia CLEARLY approves of Twilight. The only time she even scolds her... she SCOLDS her! You don't scold someone you don't care about, you get the guards to throw them out. And yet, Twilight hangs her whole identity on maintaining this perfect standard, haunted by the fear that she'll somehow be degraded by making the very same mistakes that she has forgiven her own friends for making. Either her friends need not be held to the impeccable Twilight standard, or Twilight is more forgiving and magnanimous than princess Celestia herself.
Now, you might argue that Celestia is an inscrutable authority in Twilight's life, but considering how she comports herself around Twilight, and even around the populace at large? Pffffft, yeah right.
Still, I bring this up to hear other people's opinions. Am I reading too much into it/reading her wrong, or have I got it right?
You want my honest opinion as to what I think Twilight's character is really?
I don't think that she is a narcissist per se. I would more likely compare her to someone who values her friends and family immensely. To this end she didn't want to dissapoint Celestia. Notice, if you will, how the ponies she makes a friendship problem between aren't her own friends, in fact towards the end she forces Dash's eyes closed to avoid it from happening.
Naturally I could just point out the fact that it's a fictional cartoon unicorn from a show originally created for young girls and as such I don't think she actually has a personality deep enough for narcissism.
Whichever point you want to take is yours.
-N64Fan
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No show is too cartoony for psychology.
Heck, I'd even say that psychology is MORE fun with cartoons, given the creators aren't always paying attention. Sometimes the most casual references become the best fridge horror!
I'd say Twilight is neurotically obsessed with The Rules. Nothing else is as important as Following The Rules. She freaks out not because of an inferiority complex or because of unrealistic expectations, but because she's not following The Rules. That's also why she can't handle Pinkie Sense; Pinkie doesn't even acknowledge that there are Rules in the first place, much less follow them. And then, Celestia's status as Princess and the ultimate authority in Equestria mean that getting her approval is like getting the approval of The Rules themselves, in some sense.
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Interesting, I like that. Something to think about.