To prove she's Dauntless, the main character has to pass a series of tests in a simulation, and she passes them by reminding herself that it's not real and devising a novel means of escape. This supposedly proves that she's a Divergent, which makes no sense, because aren't the Dauntless similarly capable of reminding themselves that it's not real and using similar means to pass the test?
Was this explained better in the book?
nope, the Dauntless always find a way to complete the test and they don't feel aware that the simulations aren't real
shareBut that doesn't really make sense. Why couldn't a Dauntless recognize that it was just a simulation?
shareI think you should compare it to a hallucination. To some people in some situations they know it's not real and to others in other situations they are very much the reallity.
shareIt would seem to me that people in Dauntless "live in the moment," which is why they can take the risks they take without experiencing fear. It's not that they do not recognize a simulation for what it is; rather, it's that they live to respond to the experience instead of thinking about it.
shareNo its not explained better in the book, it a hot mess.
shareA person who was a true Dauntless would try to McGuyver their way out of a scary situation, even in a "dream"; using brains and action, they would aggressively "solve" the situation physically.
A person who was a true Dauntless would not try to Neo their way out of the situation by using their brains and abstract thought to passively recognize there was no real danger; using mind-over-matter to change the "reality" of the situation.
Tris embodies the characters of more than just one group (sect?) of the population - bravery, intelligence, kindness, justice, etc. This is why she represents a threat to the powers that be, as they feel they cannot control those who deviate (or Diverge) from the norm.
You Fill Me with Inertia.