#mylittlepony - #On the sociability of the pony species:

On the sociability of the pony species:

(Disclaimer: This is 50% evidence-based, 50% random headcanon)

So, ponies are not human.

That's a simple statement, but it has some hefty implications. They sometimes behave similarly to us, yet there are also some very fundamental differences. One of the largest and most critical to understanding pony behavior, in my opinion, is that they are a highly social species - one might almost call them super-social.

Consider:

• Inclusion into a social circle is a highly important part of pony life; whether defined as family or group of friends, ponies often define themselves by the company they keep.

• Contrastingly, failure to be included in or recognized by an important social group is a fundamental root-cause of psychological disorders, with individuals being driven to aggressive action or even violence in order to establish a social order they can be included in. Conversely, exclusion from a social circle is recognized as a major punishment.

• Many of the idealized heroes in their society are recognized in large part not on the accomplishments of their own, but as part of a group: The Royal Sisters, Element-Bearers, Pillars, Wonderbolts, and so on. Within the group, however, there is a clear emphasis on chain of command - who is foremost, first among equals, etc.

• Ponies often engage in social bond-building behavior such as mutual grooming, physical displays of affection such as nuzzling/hugging, and freely sharing of resources within their social group. While this behavior is existent in juvenile humans, both juvenile and adult ponies display it.

In fact, there's actually a very good word for this: Herding. In this fandom it's occasionally come to mean a sort of harem-fantasy, but the accurate definition is far more than that - relating to the dependence on a social group and transmission of ideas between them.

I would argue that ponies' status as prey animals contributes even further to their heard-centric behavior. The almost fanatic attachment to it is not a widespread disability but a legacy of the time when there was real safety and benefit to be found in a herd.

To us, the average pony might actually seem overly-social: Constantly seeking attention or participation in "the group". Conversely, long periods alone might lead to seemingly-excessive reactions (both positive and negative). Interestingly, one unchecked zone is how ponies determine social order. A pony who does not have an obvious leader nor (themselves or another) might become uncertain or nervous until the group's clear leader is determined.

tl;dr - ponies are a herd species. They literally cannot be healthy without friends.

Submitted March 01, 2018 at 03:10PM by Logarithmicon
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