Mental combat · 9:09am Sep 27th, 2018
Hm, so I started to read https://www.fimfiction.net/story/77658/equestria-legends-online and in connection to my previous post this made me think deeper.
What kind of pony is a good pony? One who _seriously_ consider feelings and abouts of other ponies ..even if those ponies look ....different. But can we reason away (or reason in) why magical ponies can be better ponies than humans ever made themselves?
I think yes!
Because..how many fighting modes magical pony can have?
1) Physical combat
2) Magical combat
3) Symbolical combat (including this hier / authority stuff)
So, 1) basically obsoleted by good 2), because it universally faster to just hold somepony before s/he hit you. And because in their world, unlike ours, magic was and is real The Thing ...even in dark ages there will be much more attention to 'invisible' and subtle aspects of the world, including internal world. So, for example there will be studies about mind manipulations, and how to prevent them, or cure results of such attack... sure, ruining something nearly always easier than repairing. Still, even if quite dark version of Equestria (where ponies either never were created violence-proof, or deviated from this state for some reason) there will be better and earlier understanding of inner life of pony, even for better use of magic, and better defense, or curing various random illness/defects/traumas.
Yes, some automated traps probably will be invented and used, but .. magic is not only about feeling beings, it can be used to detect hidden mechanisms. Hey, having your ultimate power working linked to your quite universally and widely defined mental health isn't bad thing, it seems!
In today's humans world a lot of violence not purely physical, but mediated via symbols, or giant groups of humans held hostage by clever usage of quirks on our psychology. So, in similar historical situation some clever pony {or more likely _group of ponies_ and here communication and exchange of diverse ideas come into play..} will figure out same universal problems, and will try to fix them..for same reason why some humans figured those problems out in our reality, yet seems to have no way to fix them ....because humans generally lack power of will (or may be it also exaggregated by biochemical factors, and surely it amplified by social factors and already-built structures and institutions) for changing way they act&think. But magic is both very good reason for much greater self-control, and means to actually gain required level! Even for few, initially.. But if those few will use their convincing and other powers to make sure other ponies not only gain self-control, spread this knowledge/technique, and help to create better implementations but also learn how to protect themselves from convincing, but eventually wrong leaders... things will lighten up even if slowly!
So, something like Intellectual's Revolution, but with early realization 'lesser' ponies need their defense (intellectual and brute-mental) up, too ...so, education, ethical and thinking progress as general vector of moving.. yet with real examples of how it all can be done. Not quite gods (yet?), but working models of self-change, self-discovery, team-work, expanding compassion ... why not? In human world it all crashed because scientists and philosophers were and are (and will be.. until they find some means to fix their -enoballs syndrome!) too weak for admitting they not moved as far as they should, esp. for their position, and try harder/better/wider to find _something_ working. Too weak for admitting wrong course, their own weakness ... lets not repeat same mistake for another world! Yes, may be it sounds too 'lucky' to bet on group of ponies accumulating enough of understanding of how power work and corrupt in time for developing any counter-measure and apply it.. to themselves and anyone in power enough..and eventually to all other ponies... but better this than nothing, even for God-created versions of Equestria, just in case of Fallout!
Well, this whole scenario bets on assumption most powerful mages will be by neccessarity also philosophers and early scientists. Just brute force will kill them literally ... yes, this is not absolute guaranteed defense, not even most likely to naturally occur ..? But it can be some bio/magical luck, when exactly this greater power controlled by mind basically will do bad things to unprepared, mislead user, unlike situation with mechanical/chemical weapons of human history...? May be this type of luck by itself can be created, or at least started by early pacifist ponies...
Also, remote sensing as part of 2) probably may help with widely-applicable empathy, or at least start some positive positive feedback loops...
May be there are other ways to imagine how loving and true ponies might come out of even quite imprefect and messy ones.... but I need some rest for now.
