Dear Beatrice Prior

This post may contain Divergent, Insurgent, and/or Allegiant spoilers.

Dear Tris,

First things first: I have to commend you on your selflessness in the face of the massive destruction of everything you once knew about your world. That’s a lot to ask of any teenage girl, but you take it on in stride. No matter how far you try to get away from that Abnegation childhood, it’s a part of you and a pretty darn good part at that.

But let’s be real for a minute, Beatrice. There’s selflessness and then there’s whatever it is you’re doing. I notice you don’t tend to do a lot of creative problem solving before throwing yourself in the face of danger. Despite the fact that you’re in a young adult dystopian novel, you really don’t have to take on the world alone. The world’s problems do not rest on your shoulders. You’re not even the only Divergent around. You’re just one girl with a skewed sense of self sacrifice.

You do know that normal people don’t regularly insert themselves in harm’s way in order to protect others, especially when just not inserting yourself in harm’s way would probably also protect others, right? I know, I know, it’s the Abnegation making you selfless and the Dauntless making you stupid brave. But isn’t that the point of being Divergent? You can be more than just one thing?

Take advantage of your resources, the people around you, and your own aptitude to be more than a one-trick pony. Or else this blind self-sacrifice is going to get you into trouble one day.

XO

P.S. Don’t leave Chicago. Just trust me on this one.