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Personally, I'm very close with my family. However, I know there are some people who are in a different situation, born into a family from which they want to escape. In this scenario, I'd say faction before blood would help them to find like-minded people and create a family of their own. A family that they choose, not one that is forced onto them.

Honestly it seems very cultish.

CrescentMoon wrote:I really don't like this idea of faction before blood. In my opinion, it's something that a tyrannical government would want its citizens to believe in, to give up their family and become loyal to them. Family ties usually are supposed to be very strong, and I don't know many people who wouldn't do anything for their family. That is a threat to the government so I feel like the message of faction before blood is a way to brainwash people into believing that their loyalty needs to be to the factions and society at all times, that way they are easier to manipulate and control.

I completely agree with the statement. In our world we say "blood is thicker than water" and it makes a lot more sense.

I don't see anything wrong with "Faction Before Blood" because that's how Tris's community works. I respect any community if they believe that factions are stronger than blood. I would think it came around because in a faction, a person is around people like them so it's easy to think that they'd form a tighter bond than a family who has very diverse personalities.

I too believe it is very harsh to make people choose between family and Faction( people who think like you). I mean in my personal life too....I do not think like my parents. But, still I love them and would never like to cut off myself from them completely. I do respect the system and thinking behind it. Theory on paper looks good and workable. However that theory to work in real life is completely different thing. I do not feel it can work in real life. People are too unpredictable and changeable ( their nature, thinking etc) for it to work.

I'm about to quote Supernatural here: "Family don't end in blood." I think that is basically what that is saying. You pick your faction based on your personality and morals. Therefore, they pretty much become your family, and family is the most important thing.

musiclover182013 wrote:I believe that "Fanction Before Blood" can be taken either way. In today's society, I find this to be passion before family. Now, in some people, they do in fact believe that what they are passionate about takes priority over family. In my case, I find family to be of more importance although my passion does come a close second. In Divergent, the statement "Fanction Before Blood" makes more sense seeing as if you choose to switch factions, you choose to leave your family. If you are willing to make that choice, you should be able to deal with the consequences (I say that, but I probably wouldn't be able to solely dedicate myself to either choice myself). Luckily, we don't have to make such a hard decision because I, like many in the book, would struggle a bit.

I agree completely your passion is something that can wait for a little bit, your family however can not. I am not trying to say your dreams and passions aren't important because they are. But I'm not talking about staying home instead of following your passion to keep your parents company. I am talking about leaving a meeting that could decide your career because a member of your family is hurt or dying. This isn't an easy choice for any of us but for me family is and will forever be more important than my passion in this case anyways.

I've always been a fan of the thinking that you choose your family. Of course, there's the family that you're born into, but families aren't perfect. The ability to start over is actually pretty nice. When you think about it, though presented in a harsher way in Divergent, growing up and leaving the nest is a natural thing to do.

Faction before blood promoted the wrong ideas, and instead of bringing people together it tore them apart.

I'd compare factions to workaholics that have a need to work over spending time with family. Workaholics I would see as a little egotistical thinking that the company might fall apart if it wasn't for them and that the bond they make with coworkers is a priority they keep striving for when the family is going to be there no matter what so they aren't an exciting goal to accomplish or work towards.

I think faction before blood really doesnt have a place in today's society. People will generally put their family ahead of those who happen to have the same values as themselves.

"Faction before blood" is a clever phrase that is designed to pull people together inside a common group - but not families. I feel that there is no stronger community than family and believe that is exactly the point of the factions. If people were grouped via blood, opposed to their feelings at age 16, then those groups would be undoubtedly stronger than the created factions. These family groups would probably be strong enough to, say, overthrow a controlling government. I feel it was that very fear that created the factions in the first place. "Blood before faction" would give the people too much power to be controlled.

I am trying to think of a real world comparison to faction. Country?

Historically it was acceptable for people to send their children, siblings and parents off to fight wars for King / Queen and country with pride. If the loved one died in service it was considered an honor to have served (this is still a little present in today's society, albeit with service men / women being thankfully treated with far more care than the poor souls who fought 100 years ago) and an honor for the family member to have died so heroically. If family members refused to fight they were often disowned as cowards and deserters. If they chose to fight for a different cause families could be torn apart by the 'betrayal'. I suppose this is the closest similarity I can find.

For me family would come before any political loyalty. But if I were brought up in a world such as the one Veronica Roth depicts, things may be different.

This can be taken any way, Work before Family, Love before Family, Duty before family (like military). HOwever everyone will probably see it in a way that they can understand and relate with to make it a positive choice. For example it could mean your adopted family over blood. If you are adopted or chose to marry (i.e. gaining a new family) you must put that "new family's" needs first. No matter where you are from, you are grown and have a new responsibility to your new family. The meaning can be skewed depending on who is considering it.

Good for the faction but not for the family. It's like being a president of the country. You're duty is to the government first before your own family. It's good if the person is not attached to anyone, but bad news if he is.