Monday, 9 March 2015

Think Outside Your Faction

"No matter how long you train someone to be brave, you never know if they are or not until something real happens."
-Insurgent

That 'something real' could be a turn in Vancouver's most challenging escape game. Measured up against four uniquely themed escape rooms, players must use all areas of their brain, not just the corners they excel at to succeed.

This is one of themes that Veronica Roth’s Divergent series, the source of the quote above, explores. The novels and now films are set in a post-apocalyptic world where humans have been divided into factions. The faction setup works like a caste system, where individuals are taught to only associate and strive towards positions within their social group. This control is based on the individuals within the group identifying with the pre-conceived character traits that are attached to each faction. Once they identify and understand their position, they are less likely to use the traits of the other factions for problem solving, thus limiting their potential. It is only the divergent members, the ones who display traits from all of the factions, who contain the potential to disrupt the system.


It is an interesting scenario, one which we see played out in our everyday lives. Individuals who succeed at work, at sports even in relationships, seem to have a rounder sense of being. When our skills are too specialized, we often can't find a practical use for them. It is only with a grasp of the larger picture that we are able to make our creative productions shine.


The same thing happens in the Krakit rooms. Players need creativity, logic, intelligence and perseverance to make their escape. Their natural tendencies, or faction traits, might lead them towards one line of thinking, but their ability to change perspective will allow them to engage the problem on more then one front. The divergent mind will always trump the specialized.

Insurgent, the second film in the Divergent series, will open in theatres across North America on March 20th, 2015. 


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