How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #10
"Every faction conditions its members to think and act a certain way. And most people do it. For most people, it's not hard to learn, to find a pattern of thought that works and stay that way." She touches my uninjured shoulder and smiles. "But our minds move in a dozen different directions. We can't be confined to one way of thinking, and that terrifies our leaders. It means we can't be controlled. And it means that no matter what they do, we will always cause trouble for them." (35.39)
Tris's mom gives her the talk here. No, not the talk about the birds and the bees—the talk about how faction leaders try to control people's thoughts but can't control the Divergents. This puts the whole "faction norms" thing in a different light: it's not just about a sense of community or anything, but about reducing the number of choices people make. It's about having "power" over people.