Divergent

Yesterday, I spoke about my faction according to the divergent quiz: Candor. But I also said that everything about Candor didn't quite sit well with me. It's taken me a whole year and reading the second book in the DIVERGENT series (INSURGENT) to realise why. I'm divergent!

You'd think I would have come up with that a long time ago, since it's an integral part of the book's premise, but well, yeah...

Unlike the "true Candor," I don't see everything in black and white. In fact, I don't really see any thing in black and white. I believe in truth, but many of those truths are not absolute, as I see them. And even where I see a truth as absolute, I think that others have have every right to believe something different.

A part of me is AMITY.

 It's the Amity in me that fights with black and whiteness of Candor. The Amity in me believes that everyone gets to make their own choices as long as they aren't hurting anyone. Amity is the only faction whose clothes I would (and do regularly) wear. Three of the factions wear neutrals (black, white, gray) and Erudite wears blue, which I despise. That doesn't seem like a big deal, but the clothes represent the belief systems of the factions. And I dress brightly, like Amity, because that's how I (generally) feel and what I want to promote.

 Another big draw for Amity is the appreciation of music and the arts. Well, duh. *looks around writer's blog* Amity, moreso than any other faction, cultivates humanity. And I'm all about humanity, which I suppose, is why my Candor truths are gray, because where people are involved there is no black and white.

 I'm a natural peace-keeper too. It really drains me to see people fight. That's not to say I'm perfect and I don't get emotional and argue as well. But when I'm thinking clearly, the search for peace - or really community - is my second guiding principle.

The Amity celebrity: Professor X. Pretty much the only thing that stops him from being just like Magneto is that he just wants everybody to get along. 

The next strongest faction in my life is Erudite. This is probably the most obvious from the outside. At 30, there are only (approx) 2 years of my life where I haven't been in school in some capacity. I speak 5 languages. I'm certified in all kinds of random stuff that I may never use, like Italian and Event Planning. Other people don't get it when I "just take a class" with no end in sight.

I hate conflict, but my mother always says I should be a lawyer. That's because I like when things are "right". Logically speaking, that is. And sometimes, I argue for the things I believe to be so. But I could never be a lawyer because of the peace-seeking nature, and because I won't go against the truth. The Candor, and the Amity are in conflict with the Erudite, and I think the Erudite in me only shines through when it doesn't conflict or when it's a reflex.

And of course when it comes to answering any problem with an empirical solution, the Erudite mascot is Hermione.

When I think about this combination, I think most writers must be a combination of these three. Obviously, we're Amity, as we love the arts. We are Candor as we search for the truth, and Erudite as we seek and use knowledge. I guess the stories we tell and how we choose to tell them is influenced by which of the 3 shine brightest in us, and if any of the other factions are thrown into the mix as well.

I am CANDOR

I've just finished Veronica Roth's INSURGENT, the second in the DIVERGENT series.

DIVERGENT summary (from Amazon):

In Beatrice Prior’s dystopian Chicago world, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can’t have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself. 

When DIVERGENT first came out, it was all the rage to do The Faction Quiz on facebook, and share the results on blogs and twitter feeds everywhere.  I did the test, but I never shared my result.

I am Candor.

 

Why have I never mentioned that, despite the fact that I enjoy the book, and participate in other memes with fair frequency? Firstly, Candor is about the least exciting a faction can be. Secondly, they're not really painted in the best light. And thirdly, I don't wholly identify with them. 

 

The thing is I didn't need the test to tell me I'm Candor. I'll tell anybody any day that I prize truth about all else. It's about the only thing I can guarantee I'm good at. I might not be the most selfless, or the bravest, etc, but I can almost guarantee that I am the most honest person you will meet.  If you ask me a question, you wil get an honest answer, probably sugar-coated, but still honest.

So let's look at why I haven't claimed my Candor until now. As I said, they aren't that exciting. All the other factions get to do all this cool stuff. If you look up badass in a dystopian dictionary, there's a picture of the Dauntless symbol. You have to respect Abnegation for the sheer level of will it takes to constantly put others before themselves. And they make great leaders because they always think of the common good. The Erudite spend their days thinking and developing the technology that the rest of the society needs. And Amity, apart from not getting involved in the politics of the society, grows the food for everyone, because they have the patience, of course.

 I guess it's a reflection of my real life. I mean it sounds really cool that I'm out in Japan. And it is actually pretty cool. But I'm a regular teacher. And while teachers are awesome, we're a dime a dozen. Even moreso than that, I am a writer. I just want to tell my stories, write my truths, philosophise. (Guess what my best subject was in my Coast Guard Academy days? Morals & Ethics. Thoroughly useless, but Candor all the way.) And writers aren't cool. Not unless they have 3-book deals with Harper Collins or "NYT Bestselling" in front of their names or they are one of the handful that everyone in the world can name.

And then there's the way Candor is painted in DIVERGENT. All of the factions take their virtue to the extreme, sacrificing other virtues on the way. But Candor feels the worst to me. They sacrifice consideration for others in the name of truth. They say whatever comes to mind, whether or not it's hurtful. That's too high a price for the truth. 

So I'm Candor with a caveat. I believe in truth. Truth above all else. But I don't believe that I must always sacrifice everything else in the name of truth. Nor do I believe that everyone else has to believe the same things I do. Unlike the Candor in INSURGENT, I don't share my truth where it's not asked for or neccessary, essentially shoving it down the throats of others. 

I suppose, if you've been following this blog for a little while, you've could come to these conclusions on your own. I share my opinions here, even when they are not the popular or political correct ones. But I never shut down anyone who thinks differently. And I try hard to present my posts objectively, even when they are personal and passionate.

I am Candor.

 

Of course it doesn't help that this guy's supposedly one of us. Yum!

Come back tomorrow for the sequel to this post. And share your Faction if you have one.

A world against Creatives

I was reading a post last week on the Shrinking Violet Promotions blog, about misunderstood Introverts, and I got to thinking about Creatives.

It's not so much that Creatives are misunderstood. It's more that the whole world is against us. That may be a tough pill for some people to swallow. After all, some of the richest people in the world (entrepreneurs, actors, singers, a few select writers) are Creatives.

People are always waving around their stories when they make it. Bill Gates quit school, they say. Yes, that's great. Now. You can bet that lots of his friends and family were all over him when he did it. That's the stage we're in as Creatives who haven't yet 'made it'.

'You want to spend how much on a conference?'
'What do you mean an MFA? You'll never get a job!'
'You're wasting your life away buried in that novel.'

Western culture values thinking, and working, outside the box. Society is willing to pay top dollar for it. But you're not supposed to live outside the box. Paying bills. Deadlines. Responsibilities. Following rules. It's great if we shine at our art. But we're still supposed to take care of all the things the Practical types do easily.

You don't see anyone asking their accountant to write fiction. (Yes, Marsha, I know you're a rare Creative accountant.) But they expect Creatives to play by the same rules as Practicals.

There's an American actor who recently went off the deep-end. I listened to some of his interviews online and, to my mind, a lot of it is a few marbles short of a bag. But he said something to the effect of 'I'm tired of pretending that I'm not the hottest thing since sunspots'. And it struck a chord with me.

Not that I AM the hottest thing since sunspots. But I do pretend. I think all Creatives do. Because our thoughts don't connect the way a Practical's do. We don't care about 'normal' things. A few years- or decades- of trying to explain our rationale to friends and family and we give up. Because they won't ever get it. And really, it can't be explained. Eventually, we all just pretend.

We appreciate practical concerns. We understand that someone provides a service, and sends a bill. We understand that the money we pay them will be used to pay someone's salary. We'd like that person to get that money. We'd love to give them the money that is due. But we, personally, have no inclination to make an actual effort that will result in the money changing from our hands to the relevant parties. In fact, it would be great if the money would just get up and wonder off to where it was supposed to be, all on it's own. (I can not wait for the day that I have the sort of money to employ someone to do these things for me!)

There are always stories about celebs doing crazy things. And people respond by saying that the money and the fame changed them.

Maybe it didn't. Maybe they just had to pretend all this time. Tone themselves down so that they didn't freak people out. Try to be and do what society expects. And maybe the fame is just what the doctor ordered. A chance to be themselves.

Or maybe it's just me.

Monday, and that's what's on my mind.

(PS, I've gone volunteering on the Iwate coast, tsunami area, so no blog tomorrow. Hope to be back on Wednesday. Don't worry. I will stay safe.)