Cutie Marks: A theory · 8:52pm Apr 3rd, 2013
Let's talk about this important part of pony culture. What is a cutie mark?
"A symbol on a pony's rump!"
...yes, and then again no. Or rather, that is only the VISIBLE aspect of a cutie mark.
Remember, all ponies are magical. That is, they have magic. Yes, even the earth ponies and pegasi have magic. But overload a pony with magic and what do you get?
Yeah, that can't be healthy.
So the problem becomes, how do you prevent a pony from going into a lethal state of magical overload? The answer is to realign the pony's aura for maximum magical efficiency.
Enter the cutie mark.
At some point during puberty, a pony hits an epiphany about themselves. So deep is this epiphany, so profound, that it shapes their lives from that moment on. On a more biological note, their personal aura is shifted into something that represents that vital identity, meaning that magic flows through it whenever the pony does something related to their vital identity. Which, obviously, is quite often. The initial realignment also prints a symbol on the flanks of the pony in question.
Here's the thing: That vital identity? That is NOT a special talent.
Do not misunderstand, special talents are IMPORTANT. They're usually the initial trigger, and the primary method of expressing a pony's vital identity. THat's why adults often tell foals that a cutie mark represents a special talent; it's a good guide, and correct a good 75% of the time. But witness Rarity: her special talent is finding gemstones, but her vital identity is finding beauty. Not MAKING beauty, in the shallow sense that some fashionistas might, but FINDING it. Even more, when Rarity gained her cutie mark, she did not go off to become a miner, but instead attempted to satisfy her urge to find beauty... but by making it, proving she did not have the vital identity that matched that cutie mark. The fact is, a cutie mark matches WHO YOU ARE, not WHAT YOU DO. More then that, it matches WHO YOU ARE AT YOUR CORE, not the constant shifting of the conscious mind.
"All I really need's a smile smile smile..."
Pinkie doesn't need to party. She parties so others can be happy. Applejack didn't earn her cutie mark bucking trees or running finances; she earned it when she realized she belonged at Sweet Apple Acres. The CMC don't fail because they try the wrong things; they fail because they don't bother to examine themselves. In fact, given the sheer magical power Twilight had, it could be argued that her cutie mark is NOT an expression of her core identity, but rather a desperate survival mechanism triggered by her magical overload; she only really "found herself" that time the spark flickered in her eyes.
Now, it is possible IN THEORY to grow up without a cutie mark. In practice, however, that would lead to a lot of magical overload related medical problems. I would be unsurprised to learn that Twilight had a few... conditions. Heck, her, Pinkie, and Rainbow probably fit in the "I'm so filled with magic I need to bleed it off constantly" category, medically speaking. It's even worse for Pinkie, since all Twilight has to do is cast spells and all Rainbow has to do is fly fast but Pinkie has to either make everypony happy all the time or find alternative methods of bleeding off magic, lest she risk insanity. Still, they're alive.
Now, if you're in the know you will realize this blog was prompted by an argument over whether the "fusing" in the ponyearthverse could change a cutie mark. In the end, I would have to say... no. True, the personality is changed, but the core components, the Vital Identity, remains the same or at the very least equal to the Vital Identity of the human half. In fact, given the "complimentary" personalities of most pairs, the vital identities are usually compatible enough as to be almost indistinguishable.
And yes I am aware, very much so, of the Markus Dash double Cutie Mark. But, minor spoiler.... there is a reason for that.
AND NOW YOU NEED TO DANCE IN THE COMMENTS!
A sound theory. WTH am I reading when I should get up in 5 hours.
This is a very solid theory. It is now part of my head cannon.
978478 But ponies...
So, I reckon a deep thinker's cutie mark, somepony who questions everything and comes up with the most crazy ideas for everything would be, *thinks for a bit*, perhaps a twister with a starfield background?
Btw, I like your theory.
I would argue that 'finding beauty' is Rarity's special talent, as well. (Yeah, she got her Mark when she found some gemstones, but remember where she found them: hidden inside a dumb rock.)
Also, how does Cutie Mark Failure Insanity Syndrome fit into this?
Cool headcanon.
978557
Minor magical overload screwing with the synapses.
978567
Right, 'her' is Rarity here. When Applejack gained Rarity's Mark, she didn't go off and mine for gems (like you would expect if the Mark stood merely for 'finding gems'), she tried to make dresses like Rarity.
978655
Oh, it's talking about Magical Mystery Cure.
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Hm, ah, ah, I'm dancin' like you said, oh yeah.
Looking beneath the obvious and finding a deeper truth. I love this sort of thing. It works especially well with ponies with highly abstract or symbolic cutie marks like Cheerilee.
Headcanon accepted, especially the bit about certain ponies with dangerous amounts of magic.
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Make sense, especially since it would work so well with the odd fitting marks. I'm adding it to my headcannon.
Also Dancing!
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I really like this idea. Now, does it work to resolve all three episode dealing with cutie marks?
Cutie Mark Chronicles: yes, because that's where the theory comes from, and examples are given for 5 of 6 mane ponies. Why is Fluttershy's mark butterflies, though?
Cutie Pox: The real problem, therefore, with the pox is that it attempts to impose random destinies/core identities upon the poxed pony, rather than coming from within. Interesting.
MMC: Applejack tries to find beauty, but is hampered by her overly practical nature; to her beauty is function, not form.
Fluttershy tries to bring joy, but mistakenly attempts to do so the Pinkie way, rather than the Fluttershy way (which would be being kind to ponies instead of critters)
Pinkie suddenly belongs at Sweet Apple Acres, but does not have the skill set to simply take over AJ's chores and should have been bringing joy to the Apple family (OMG my reading of Unforeseen Consequencesjust got that much deeper)
Rainbow Dash needs to care for animals, but once again lacks the skills
Rarity... need to go fast so she decorates the sky (?)
Twilight was unaffected by the spell.
Two points: This works in almost all cases (except Rarity in MMC) if we also assume that ponies in Equestria often have a basic, unsophisticated view of cutie marks rather than a deep understanding. So while Twilight (and her classmates Lyra and Colgate) might very well know that "cutie mark = special talent" is really just a useful lie, most other ponies at any age would have been given the same explanation Cheerilie gave and that's it. They get it wrong too, which is why no one points this out to the CMC. They don't really understand it.
Rarity in MMC remains a problem. If anyone can solve this, let me know.
EDIT: Rarity had so much built up Dashpower that she had to levitate something, perhaps? Not sure...
979645
Fluttershy is... well, she's soft and kindhearted and her cutie mark reflects that. Putting your Hoof Down Fluttershy was so traumatized by her own acts she tied herself up, Galashy was simply driven insane by constant animal rejection... okay, so it's a bit more vague then I like.
As for Lightning!Rarity, it works better if you assume that RD's mark represents Being Awesome or Being Ready To Help.
Pinkie might have no trouble. Earth ponies use their magic without trying. They radiate it like light to the world around them, causing benevolent alterations to their environment. AJ causes the plants to grow to their fullest potential. The Cakes cause food to cook more efficiently and not burn or spoil. Pinkie subtly messes with ponies minds to make them more receptive of happiness.
At least that is how earth ponies work in my mind. You might disagree. And all that only applies if Pinkie is really an earth pony and not some other unknown race or descendent of Discord.
Twilight on the other hoof would certainty have trouble. Her sheer magical power is so great that she might not be able to conventionally use enough magic every day to ward off health problems. She would have to periodically go and vent all of her magic to remain stable.
980104 Having slept on it, I'm pretty sure my answer is now "Rarity has no idea what it means to be Rainbow Dash," which has the advantage of being it's own little friendship lesson in the making.
Also applies to Comic!Fluttershy, who mistakes Pinkie's purpose as being laughter (the purpose is smiles, the means is laughter), and possibly Pinkie as well; one could argue that Pinkie should have been using her own skills to better SAA rather than trying to mimic AJ's tasks, except that would leave trees unbucked, something AJ would never do.
Very interesting I'll have to think on this