Ugh, why does Youtube keep doing this?Trixeffable's thoughts on the connection between names and cutie marks. · 12:18pm Feb 4th, 2014
It's generally thought that it's kinda weird how ponies cutie marks and names have an odd tendency to match up, and while there's totally a bunch of cool headcanons on how it works, one I don't think I've ever really seen is the idea that it relies on self-identification. For example, Fluttershy's thing is animals, which she discovered after dealing with some butterflies, and... a variety of other animals. I think the design of her cutie mark is less because her name would match up with it, and more because it's part of her self-identification, and the symbolism applied seems to always reflect the perspective of the pony that got it.
Like, there's no instance of a pony getting their cutie mark in the show where they look at it and go "Well, what the hell does this represent?" They know because it's personalized. Fluttershy's cutie mark could of been done in a dozen different ways, but it manifested in a way that would make sense to Fluttershy. While some other ponies get more abstract cutie marks, others get pretty dang simple and literal marks. When Applebloom got her cutie pox from the Heart's Desire, she manifested a variety of random cutie marks that could be done as activities... Which is basically how she was living her life, doing adventures with her friends to try getting cutie marks in just about anything. A link between names and behavior is fairly common in a sociological aspect, and it doesn't seem to be much different for ponies.
Some examples of this personalized aspect, would be Cheese Sandwich from the latest episode. What does that have to do with partying? Bloody nothing, whatsoever. However, in his song, they were all over the place, acting as representations of things that have links to parties. In his flashback, we also get to see that when he was exposed to Pinkie's party and realized his destiny, he specifically focused on the half eaten cheese sandwich he had been given--why is that a thing, anyway? Like, Damn it Berry Punch--and the music over anything else going on around him. It's not that his parents had like, magical foresight, or that his name destined him to have anything to do with sandwiches, it just assisted in his interpretation of his destiny.
By contrast, we can see the Apple Family all have incredibly similar cutie marks, and by contrast, they are also all--generally--very close to each other. While Pinkie's family has fairly different cutie marks... and completely different lifestyles. She may of been named Pinkamena Diana Pie, but she really has no attachment to her name. She is the only pony to insist on using a shortened nickname, 'Pinkie', instead of just, say, Diana. As such, her cutie mark doesn't reflect upon her name in the slightest... Because she doesn't identify well with it, but she does identify with entertainment. As a more medium ground, We can see that Twilight's cutie mark is fairly similar to Shining Armor's. If the style of the cutie mark was passed down by genetics, then every family would have similar cutie marks. But they don't. By contrast, how similar a family members cutie marks are seems to depend on how close they are to their family, and by extension, how well they understand them.
Which, again, supports the idea of ponies having cutie marks based off of identification. The inherit difference of perspective means that no two ponies will have the same cutie mark, but they can be quite similar. Like, say, the cakes, who have similar cutie marks. Though, within the constraints of this theory, it would be less because they were destined to be together, and more because they both shared a similar enough outlook on things to have fairly similar cutie marks. Which of course, would mean they could understand each other and get along well--which they obviously do--.
All of this quite reminds me of Psycho-social development theory. The idea that, after being born, your brain develops in stages, at a speed dependent on your environment and genetics. With each stage happening in a linear process. So, a child would be in a stage where they decide over a several month period about whether or not their environment is safe or hostile. Then after that decision is made, their mind develops accordingly, and moves on to the next stage. Think of it like having to learn to crawl, then walk, then run. Most of the theory is irreverent, until you get to adolescence. Something rather interesting happens at that point, and the mind shifts gears to be less about the mass absorption of information, and more about efficiency of processed information. If I recall my Psych classes properly, this process involves losing around 30% of your neural connections, while the others become stronger, depending on how strong they were up till that point.
What this effectively means is that, at a certain stage of a person's life, you'll become really, really good at some things, with your mind having strong links to those connections, that only get faster as they are used. While skills scarcely used tends to fade away. This is important, because until this point, most of what defines a person's experiences would be depicted by their parents or equivalent figure. Which is to say, their name isn't just a reflection of themselves, but also a hint at the environment they had growing up, which would in turn, give some ideas about the individuals potential skillset.
While this traditionally applies to... not cartoon ponies, what has been shown in the show, with Rarity's and Applejack's family especially, does reflect this well.
As such, in conclusion, I think it can be assessed that the Cutie Mark and the ponies name, along with the link--or lack thereof--between them could be used to analyze their characteristics, perspective, upbringing, and of course, their destined role within Equestrian society. Under the constraints of this theory however, I think that Destiny would be more of a romanticized term for it, rather than to suggest it was decided pre-birth.
Of course, it's just effectively my headcanon, so, it's not like any of this is important anyway... I just felt like throwing this out at 4AM while writing the dream sequence in the next Fomalhaut chapter. ... Well, actually, if we're technically correct, I headcanon the existence of two types of destinies, one of which is determined pre-birth. But I won't be blogging about that one until after Fomalhaut is done... For reasons.
Do not question the Trixeffable.
And no, The Trixeffable does not care for thy love!
THE TRIXEFFABLE HAS SPOKEN!
Now to make tea and resume writing.
Read through the entire blog? Have a thing as an apology for yet another of my ridiculous, sleep deprived rambling blogs.
1795009
*hugs
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Also, Metallica
Makes me wonder how Equestria would react to a polymath, like Leonardo Da Vinci.
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The Trixeffable is a cruel and unforgiving mistress. Like Calculus, but coherent at 2AM without spending four years studying everything I say.
Just a question thought, based on the way the self identification works. Based on the enviroments presented to them and whatnot. If a pony is, for the lack of a better expression, pulled out of the enviroment in which she was born into, but remained with their name. And survived long enough to recieve her cutie mark. Then it means, by this thought, that their cutie mark could, or could not, have any relation to their name?
Alright-y then.
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Yes.
Flim and Flam mentioned that sometimes, for whatever reason, some ponies have very unfitting names for their talent. I imagine runaways would make up a fair degree of that.
Barely relevant
I like this idea. I love studying the anthropology of ponies.
I should really read your blog posts more. This is awesome.
Trixie is Bender? Who knew…