--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I chose Dauntless not because they are…" description: "\"“I chose Dauntless not because they are perfect, but because they are alive, they are free.”\" — Veronica Roth" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/367/veronica-roth-66_dauntless_i-chose-dauntless-not-because-they-are-p_796837.png" --- # I chose Dauntless not because they are perfect, but… ![“I chose Dauntless not because they are perfect, but because they are alive, they are free.” quote by Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/367/veronica-roth-66_dauntless_i-chose-dauntless-not-because-they-are-p_796837.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/367/veronica-roth-66_dauntless_i-chose-dauntless-not-because-they-are-p_796837.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/367/veronica-roth-66_dauntless_i-chose-dauntless-not-because-they-are-p_796837.png) > ““I chose Dauntless not because they are perfect, but because they are alive, they are free.”” [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Choosing Dauntless is about valuing vitality and freedom over perfection. **In simple terms:** Chooses Dauntless for life and freedom. Key Takeaway Prioritize living fully over seeking perfection. Themes choice freedom imperfection Mood determined hopeful Type inspirational philosophical When to use this quote - career decisions - personal growth Key Concepts authentic living courage Questions to Reflect On - What does freedom mean to you? - How do you confront imperfection? A Different Perspective Perfection can be a safe but stagnant path. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Alive Free](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alive-free-716576/) [Chose Dauntless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chose-dauntless-605187/) [Dauntless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dauntless/) [Dauntless Perfect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dauntless-perfect-6109694/) [Free](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/free/) ## Related quotes > [“I decide to keep the shirt to remind me why I chose Dauntless in the first place: not because they are perfect, but because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/i-decide-to-keep-the-shirt-to-remind-me-why-i-chose-dauntless-in-the/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [“remind me why I chose Dauntless in the first place: not because they are perfect, but because they are alive. Because they are free.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/remind-me-why-i-chose-dauntless-in-the-first-place-not-because-they/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [It reminds me why I chose Dauntless in the first place: not because they are perfect, but because they are alive. Because they are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/it-reminds-me-why-i-chose-dauntless-in-the-first-place-not-because/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [“I chose Dauntless in the first place: not because they are perfect, but because they are alive. Because they are free.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-chose-dauntless-in-the-first-place-not-because-they-are-perfect-but/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“By the time the fight dies down, my clothes are more paint-colored than black. I decide to keep the shirt to remind me why…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/by-the-time-the-fight-dies-down-my-clothes-are-more-paint-colored/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [I wasn't good enough for abnegation," I say, "and I wanted to be free. So I chose Dauntless." "Why weren't you good enough?" "Because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/i-wasn-t-good-enough-for-abnegation-i-say-and-i-wanted-to-be-free-so/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [“Now i remember why I chose Dauntless. Not because they were brave or anything. But because they were free.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/now-i-remember-why-i-chose-dauntless-not-because-they-were-brave-or/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [Before I chose Dauntless...I felt assured of my long lifespan, if nothing else. Now there are no reassurances except that where I go, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/before-i-chose-dauntless-i-felt-assured-of-my-long-lifespan-if/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [“I chose them not because they are perfect, but because they are alive, because they are free”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/i-chose-them-not-because-they-are-perfect-but-because-they-are-alive/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [For the first time in my life, alive, free. You were the missing piece of my soul, the breath in my lungs, the blood…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/unkown/for-the-first-time-in-my-life-alive-free-you-were-the-missing-piece/) [Unkown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/unkown/) > [Struggle is what it means to be alive and free.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-budbill/struggle-is-what-it-means-to-be-alive-and-free/) [David Budbill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-budbill/) > [“I can’t live in a world where she is not in my life, it’s not even an option. She told me that she doesn’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-j-harvey/i-can-t-live-in-a-world-where-she-is-not-in-my-life-it-s-not-even-an/) [B.J. Harvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-j-harvey/) > [And he’s right to say that every faction loses something when it gains a virtue: the Dauntless, brave but cruel; the Erudite, intelligent but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/and-he-s-right-to-say-that-every-faction-loses-something-when-it/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [I think I speak for everyone," he says, "when I say you have earned the title of Dauntless".](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/i-think-i-speak-for-everyone-he-says-when-i-say-you-have-earned-the/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [Courageous? Courageous would have been admitting weakness and leaving Dauntless, no matter what shame accompanied it. Pride is what killed Al, and it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/courageous-courageous-would-have-been-admitting-weakness-and-leaving/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) ## More by Veronica Roth > [How strange that something so simple could have been instrumental in my decision to ruin one of my most relationships and friendships, and damage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/how-strange-that-something-so-simple-could-have-been-instrumental-in/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [“I was beginning to feel that I had finally found a place to stay, a place that was not so unstable or corrupt or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/i-was-beginning-to-feel-that-i-had-finally-found-a-place-to-stay-a/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [“He acts so tough that he’s probably afraid of marshmallows and really bright sunrises or something. Overcompensating.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/he-acts-so-tough-that-he-s-probably-afraid-of-marshmallows-and-really/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [And is it selfish of me to crave victory, or is it brave?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/and-is-it-selfish-of-me-to-crave-victory-or-is-it-brave/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [You always look like someone's sucked the life right out of you when something fascinates you. -Tris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/you-always-look-like-someone-s-sucked-the-life-right-out-of-you-when/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [“We can be mended. We mend each other.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/we-can-be-mended-we-mend-each-other/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [Don’t worry about me handling the pain," I say. "I’ve had a lot of practice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/don-t-worry-about-me-handling-the-pain-i-say-i-ve-had-a-lot-of/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [Soon I will honor my parents by dying as they died. and if all they believed about death was true, soon I will join…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/soon-i-will-honor-my-parents-by-dying-as-they-died-and-if-all-they/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [“Mas lembre-se, já agora, que por vezes as pessoas que oprimimos tornam-se mais poderosas do que nós gostaríamos.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/mas-lembre-se-j-agora-que-por-vezes-as-pessoas-que-oprimimos-tornam/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [“am aware of how little space there is between us—six inches at most. That space feels charged with electricity. I feel like it should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/am-aware-of-how-little-space-there-is-between-us-six-inches-at-most/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [“Oh, good,” I say, a sour taste in my mouth. “Heroism is what I was focused on. Not, you know, trying not to die.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/oh-good-i-say-a-sour-taste-in-my-mouth-heroism-is-what-i-was-focused/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [“Caleb frowns at him. "How old are you, anyway?" "Eighteen." "And you don't think you're too old to be with my little sister?" Tobias…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/caleb-frowns-at-him-how-old-are-you-anyway-eighteen-and-you-don-t/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [What do you think they're going to do to us when they find us guilty?" she says after a few minutes of silence have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/what-do-you-think-they-re-going-to-do-to-us-when-they-find-us-guilty/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [“La paz está restringida, eso es libertad”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/la-paz-est-restringida-eso-es-libertad/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [In some parts of the ancient world, the hawk symbolized the sun. Back when I got this, I figured if I always had the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/in-some-parts-of-the-ancient-world-the-hawk-symbolized-the-sun-back/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) [Explore all 1,589 Veronica Roth quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) ## More Dauntless quotes > [Most men fail, not through lack of education or agreeable personal qualities, but from lack of dogged determination, from lack of dauntless will.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orison-swett-marden/most-men-fail-not-through-lack-of-education-or-agreeable-personal/) [Orison Swett Marden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orison-swett-marden/) > [Courageous? Courageous would have been admitting weakness and leaving Dauntless, no matter what shame accompanied it. Pride is what killed Al, and it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/courageous-courageous-would-have-been-admitting-weakness-and-leaving/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [I think I speak for everyone," he says, "when I say you have earned the title of Dauntless".](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/i-think-i-speak-for-everyone-he-says-when-i-say-you-have-earned-the/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [And he’s right to say that every faction loses something when it gains a virtue: the Dauntless, brave but cruel; the Erudite, intelligent but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/and-he-s-right-to-say-that-every-faction-loses-something-when-it/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [I am wearing a gray shirt, blue jeans, black shoes--new clothes, but beneath them, my Dauntless tattoos. It is impossible to erase my choices.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/i-am-wearing-a-gray-shirt-blue-jeans-black-shoes-new-clothes-but/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [“Intentions are the only thing they care about. They try to make you think they care about what you do, but they don't. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/intentions-are-the-only-thing-they-care-about-they-try-to-make-you/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [“I have realized that part of being Dauntless is being willing to make things more difficult for yourself in order to be self-sufficient. There's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/i-have-realized-that-part-of-being-dauntless-is-being-willing-to-make/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [But now I’m wondering if I need it anymore, if we ever really need these words, “Dauntless,” “Erudite,” “Divergent,” “Allegiant,” or if we can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/but-now-i-m-wondering-if-i-need-it-anymore-if-we-ever-really-need/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [“We're sorry for frightening you, Tris,' another voice says, 'but anonymity is integral to our operation. We mean you no harm.' 'Let go of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/we-re-sorry-for-frightening-you-tris-another-voice-says-but-anonymity/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [A chasm reminds us that there is a fine line between bravery and idiocy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/a-chasm-reminds-us-that-there-is-a-fine-line-between-bravery-and/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [I didn't realize until that moment that Dauntless initiation had taught me an important lesson: how to keep going.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/i-didn-t-realize-until-that-moment-that-dauntless-initiation-had/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [If you are really one of us, it won't matter to you that you might fail. And if it does, you are a coward.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/if-you-are-really-one-of-us-it-won-t-matter-to-you-that-you-might/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [I don't know if you know this," Tobias says, "but Edward is a little unstable." "I'm getting that," I say. "That Drew guy who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/i-don-t-know-if-you-know-this-tobias-says-but-edward-is-a-little/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [“We believe in ordinary acts of bravery, in the courage that drives one person to stand up for another.” -Divergent”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/we-believe-in-ordinary-acts-of-bravery-in-the-courage-that-drives-one/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [“God has given us the Spirit of boldness, so that even in the wilderness, we can be dauntless.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gift-gugu-mona/god-has-given-us-the-spirit-of-boldness-so-that-even-in-the/) [Gift Gugu Mona](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gift-gugu-mona/) [Browse all 120 Dauntless quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dauntless/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I chose Dauntless not because they are perfect, but because they are alive, they are free.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Veronica Roth" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/i-chose-dauntless-not-because-they-are-perfect-but-because-they-are/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Dauntless" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/i-chose-dauntless-not-because-they-are-perfect-but-because-they-are/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/367/veronica-roth-66_dauntless_i-chose-dauntless-not-because-they-are-p_796837.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/367/veronica-roth-66_dauntless_i-chose-dauntless-not-because-they-are-p_796837.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/367/veronica-roth-66_dauntless_i-chose-dauntless-not-because-they-are-p_796837.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I chose Dauntless not because they are perfect, but because they are alive, they are free.” — Veronica Roth", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Veronica Roth", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“I chose Dauntless not because they...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/i-chose-dauntless-not-because-they-are-perfect-but-because-they-are/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/i-chose-dauntless-not-because-they-are-perfect-but-because-they-are/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```