The Intelligent
Core Belief: "Knowledge eliminates conflict."
Values
"Knowledge, understanding, and innovation" are the three areas of emphasis in Erudite.
"Knowledge includes the accumulation of information, or, simply put, learning about everything.
"Understanding" involves putting that information to use, whether through the practice of medicine, scientific experiments, or the act of writing, among other things. Understanding in relationships is also something that the Erudite value. Conflicts are often resolved by the offended party receiving instruction about the offensive party, and vice versa, until the parties empathize with each other.
"Innovation" requires a person to take their understanding and knowledge and push it beyond its original borders to create something new.
The Erudite also teach their members to develop curiosity, and to obey its impulses.
Faction Norms
Jobs
Erudite is one of the two "essential factions," that is, the factions without which our basic needs would not be met. They are our doctors, scientists, and teachers. Though we often think of a scientist as someone in a lab coat. The Erudite include titles like sociologist, psychologist, and mathematician in the "scientist" category. Often those Erudite who lose their dexterity or have trouble interacting with others will choose to be researchers, and aid in important discoveries in medicine or technology. The "Low IQ" Erudite (those Erudite who scored the lowest on their initiation intelligence tests upon completing initiation) work as technicians or laboratory assistants.
Family Life
The Erudite believe that the traditional family unit is the most practical while children are young: however, they do not see the logic of marriage, so "couples" are bound only by their children, and sometimes do not live together. The most important relationship in Erudite is the mentor/mentee relationship, which a child often finds with one of their parents, but not exclusively. Some Erudite children live with their aunts and uncles, or older siblings.
Clothing
The Erudite wear blue--with the rationale that blue induces calm, and a calm mind is an absorptive one--and place almost no emphasis on clothing style. Pockets are seen as particularly useful, so it is rare to find an article of Erudite clothing without them. Spectacles are seen as a sign of intelligence, so many Erudite without vision correction needs will wear glasses regardless.
Inter-Faction Relations
The Erudite have a strong relationship with the other "essential faction," Amity, because the Amity require technology to make their food production more efficient. They have a similar relationship with Dauntless, as noted earlier. The Erudite frequently criticize the Abnegation for being "illogically selfless and inefficient," particularly in the realm of government, Some selfishness, they argue, is necessary for an individual to live a fruitful life.
Choosing Ceremony Substance: Water
While the Erudite traditionally reject symbolism as illogical and unnecessary, they chose water because it has knowledge's clarity--it is intelligible to all who seek it--and weight--it is of utmost importance.
