You are far less likely to soil your pants and cry for your mother if you’re prepared to defend yourself.

But I think that no matter how smart, people usually see what they're already looking for, that's all.

Cruelty does not make a person dishonest, the same way bravery does not make a person kind.

I just wanted to thank you' he says, his voice low. 'A group of scientists told you that my genes were damaged, that there was something wrong with me - they showed you the test results that proved it. And even I started to believe it.' He touches my face, his thumb skimming my cheekbone, and his eyes are on mine, intense and insistent. 'You never believed it,' he says 'Not for a second. You always insisted I was... I don't know, whole.

Do I look like I’ve been crying?’ I say. ‘Hmm.’ He leans in close, narrowing his eyes like he’s inspecting my face. A smile tugs at the corner of his mouth. Even closer, so we would be breathng the same air- if I could remember to breathe. ‘No, Tris,’ he says. A more serious look replaces his smile as he adds, ‘You look tough as nails.

I am a child. I am two feet tall, and asking if she loves me.

She has been to the compound before. She remembered this hallway. She knows about the initiation process. My mother was Dauntless.