figuring out what a cutie mark means is an accomplishment  
=>  
getting a cutie mark is an accomplishment
 
logic!
 

@dekutree64  

Nah, it really isn’t.

@Millennial Dan  
Tell that to the train-pulling ponies. ;)

@Millennial Dan  
It is absolutely an accomplishment, and Diamond Tiara is the prime example. She did get her cutie mark without trying, but it wasn’t until Crusaders of the Lost Mark that she actually discovered who she wanted to be and made it a reality. That’s a much bigger accomplishment than the mark itself.
 
But in the case of the crusaders, the two events coincided, and that’s what the cuteceneara celebration is supposed to be for. But I guess it doesn’t always work out that nicely in real pony life.

@PonyPon  
I’m not saying it shouldn’t be exciting, just that it isn’t really something you earn. All ponies get them, whether they try to or not.

@Millennial Dan  
When it magically puts a permanent stamp on you, I think it has a bit more weight.

@Nordguy  
Discovering things about yourself is merely a part of living; it is not an accomplishment.
 
@redweasel  
True.

@Millennial Dan  
it’s about finding your purpose in life, dude, don’t be so cynical.

@Millennial Dan  
you obviously never had parents who obsessively marked your height on the wall every year

Being proud of a kid for getting a cutie mark makes no sense. It’s like being proud of them for hitting puberty — they can’t actually help it.

@bahnpirat  
Pretty sure it’d just nicker or something.

“we’re all so proud of you for doing uh… something. family!”  
“well here I am to pick you up from school oh no wait I’m just stalking you”  
“I truly wish I could think of anything to say relevant to your cutie mark.”

@Nordguy  
Ask a pony if humans are real and they would laugh at you.

Scoots parents would be so… wiat

Applejack’s comment got me misty eyed, though it does seem that Sweetie Belle’s folks just didn’t care to show up. :P

@JustTheBast  
Hehe, yeah, I remember. Y’know, I still stand by my “pieces of the puzzle” argument when it comes to their cutie marks, but in the end, I think that…
 
@JustTheBast  

 
…This is why we go back and forth. >:| ;)

that was exactly me XD

@dekutree64  

Aw, but Applejack’s parents aren’t dead, at least not officially (S&P won’t allow saying it out loud); they’re just… not around. If it helps, just imagine that they’re in prison, serving life sentences for killing and eating Scootaloo’s parents.

For me, it was,
 
Applejack - Dang it why you gotta bring up sad dead parent stuff when I’m trying to be happy. Now I’m angry.
 
Rainbow - Screw it, happy again. That music… those words… Scootaloo could have been left out at this part, but she isn’t. Sleepless in Ponyville is still my favorite episode ever because it made this possible. Crying.
 
Rarity - This is a nod to Lauren Faust’s idea for Rarity to be the Element of Inspiration. Still crying.
 
Then I trimmed Applejack’s section out so I can be fully happy when listening to it now.

Eeyup, that was pretty much my reaction. At the beginning I was still getting over the whole “Huh. So I guess those four seasons of build-up for their music/scooter/crafting cutie marks were all for nothing. Weird decision to make,” thing. And then the feels started to pile up. And pile up. And pile up… And waaaaahhhhh!
 

Truth be told? Yeah, Rainbow’s part got me too. But hey, it builds up! :)

@Conan Royal  
Me too, and I’m usually a Rarity guy. Rainbow Dash just means so much to Scootaloo.

I actually lost it with Rainbow Dash’s part, lol