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Sherlock Holmes (Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

What type is Sherlock Holmes, as portrayed in the stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle?

  • ESFJ

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • ESTJ

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • ISFJ

    Votes: 1 4.0%
  • ISTJ

    Votes: 1 4.0%
  • ESFP

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • ESTP

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • ISFP

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • ISTP

    Votes: 4 16.0%
  • ENFP

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • INFP

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • ENTP

    Votes: 1 4.0%
  • INTP

    Votes: 13 52.0%
  • ENFJ

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • ENTJ

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • INFJ

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • INTJ

    Votes: 4 16.0%
  • I can't decide or even make an educated guess.

    Votes: 1 4.0%

  • Total voters
    25

SilkRoad

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I can only figure that he's 100% certainly a T. It's tricky with fictional characters, even if you only look at the original stories, because Doyle wrote them over decades and wasn't really that interested in consistency (though the character is definitely consistent enough to be extremely compelling.) And then things are complicated further by all the actors who have portrayed him and even some other authors who have done a good job with him - ie. Laurie King.

He is my favourite fictional character, has been since I was 12 at least, and that's unlikely to ever change.
 

Thalassa

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INTPs and ENTPs whine about running into walls and shit, while Holmes can pick a wall down to the most mundane aspects and tell you it's life story.

OK, I'm probably being a jerk, but I want some consistency there. You can't have your cake and be a meticulous detective too. Screw you NTPs! And NTs in general.

BTW, I don't really mean that. I like you.

Yeah this is actually an argument for him being ISTJ. I believe that many, many popular fictional detectives are.
 

Thalassa

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But since he's not a real person, remember he could loosely be a combination of ISTJ and INTJ with occasional SP traits like dressing up in fanciful costumes and breaking into people's houses.

Or we could argue that it's an INTJ occasionally using his inferior Se, that makes sense too.
 

SilkRoad

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Yeah this is actually an argument for him being ISTJ. I believe that many, many popular fictional detectives are.

I agree about many fictional detectives possibly being ISTJ, but I would have thought he was too eccentric for that to be a really strong possibility. Plus I don't really see where he'd be responsible like the average ISTJ. He does have a tendency to make use of people, though over the passage of time it does become evident that Watson is the one person he's truly fond of (it's not even sure how fond he is of his brother.)

EDIT: yeah, the "combination" theory kind of makes sense, as it probably does with many fictional characters.
 

Jaguar

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INTPs and ENTPs whine about running into walls and shit,

You forgot ENFPs. These people better never use the drug Warfarin, hell, they'll be black and blue from running into walls.
 

SilkRoad

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One thing we know for sure though is that Sherlock is not ENFP... ;)
 

Thalassa

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I agree about many fictional detectives possibly being ISTJ, but I would have thought he was too eccentric for that to be a really strong possibility. Plus I don't really see where he'd be responsible like the average ISTJ. He does have a tendency to make use of people, though over the passage of time it does become evident that Watson is the one person he's truly fond of (it's not even sure how fond he is of his brother.)

Yes the eccentricity is what makes me lean toward INTJ, honestly. Same with Edgar Allan Poe's Auguste Dupin.

I think Dupin was INTJ, Holmes may be some weird INTJ/ISTJ hybrid, and Poirot is ISTJ. The second two were somewhat influenced by the first, who is considered the original amazing detective in popular English writing.
 

KDude

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Yes the eccentricity is what makes me lean toward INTJ, honestly. Same with Edgar Allan Poe's Auguste Dupin.

I think Dupin was INTJ, Holmes may be some weird INTJ/ISTJ hybrid, and Poirot is ISTJ. The second two were somewhat influenced by the first, who is considered the original amazing detective in popular English writing.

Poirot is definitely a clearer ISTJ, I agree. Especially with his views on law and it's relation to society as a whole. Holmes probably stands for the same things, but he's too much of an eccentric or introvert to address it in terms of duty like that.. Not sure how to put it. He's more focused on the crimes themselves.
 

SilkRoad

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Poirot is definitely a clearer ISTJ, I agree. Especially with his views on law and it's relation to society as a whole. Holmes probably stands for the same things, but he's too much of an eccentric or introvert to address it in terms of duty like that.. Not sure how to put it. He's more focused on the crimes themselves.

Yes... he says things like "this is really most gratifying" when he's been complaining about how dull life is, and then someone runs in with a crazy case for him to solve. He is on the side of justice and does find satisfaction in bringing criminals to justice, but it's more about the intellectual thrill of solving the crime for him than anything else. Intellectual kicks first, justice and helping other people out second - in most cases.
 

ZPowers

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I haven't read the original novels for some time, but recently I saw the "Sherlock" series on Netflix instant (a spectacular series), which from what I remember and have read is a very accurate adaptation, down to borrowing lines, scenes and character traits from the original novels. Though I know it may be not 100% the original Sherlock, he seems similar enough and based on that series I have to go with the ISTP people on this one.
 

The Ü™

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The Nicholas Rowe version is a Mastermind Rational (AKA INTJ), and I'm not even touching the Robert Downey Jr. version.
 

KDude

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You just had to use the word Mastermind, didn't you?

Like I said, screw you NTs. :D
 

The Ü™

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Or a Strategic Contender, that works, too.
 

Elfboy

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my best guess is
ENTP and either 7w8 Sp/Sx integrated to 5 or 5w4 So/Sx
 

SilkRoad

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I haven't read the original novels for some time, but recently I saw the "Sherlock" series on Netflix instant (a spectacular series), which from what I remember and have read is a very accurate adaptation, down to borrowing lines, scenes and character traits from the original novels. Though I know it may be not 100% the original Sherlock, he seems similar enough and based on that series I have to go with the ISTP people on this one.

Is that the modern-day one with Benedict Cumberbatch? Love it!

I'm not sure of his type. One of the things I found interesting about setting it in the modern day is that you have modern assumptions about...well, what's up with the guy. In the original Victorian setting he got away with just being an aggravating, conceited and sometimes unexpectedly compassionate eccentric. But with modern 21st century psychology and assumptions coming into play, there are other characters who keep saying that he's a sociopath and this sort of thing (he even says it about himself.) And the viewer is drawn to look at things in this way as well; the guy is a genius, but, well, what's wrong with him? Aspergers? Troubled childhood? High-functioning sociopath?

I thought the way they updated it was so clever and subtle and I love Benedict Cumberbatch. I guess his portrayal could be ISTP but I'm really not sure. He reminds me of Jeremy Brett, but probably a little less flamboyant, and a little more childish... ;) (Plus, in a weird way he's very attractive. Amazing eyes.)
 

ZPowers

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Is that the modern-day one with Benedict Cumberbatch? Love it!

I'm not sure of his type. One of the things I found interesting about setting it in the modern day is that you have modern assumptions about...well, what's up with the guy. In the original Victorian setting he got away with just being an aggravating, conceited and sometimes unexpectedly compassionate eccentric. But with modern 21st century psychology and assumptions coming into play, there are other characters who keep saying that he's a sociopath and this sort of thing (he even says it about himself.) And the viewer is drawn to look at things in this way as well; the guy is a genius, but, well, what's wrong with him? Aspergers? Troubled childhood? High-functioning sociopath?

I thought the way they updated it was so clever and subtle and I love Benedict Cumberbatch. I guess his portrayal could be ISTP but I'm really not sure. He reminds me of Jeremy Brett, but probably a little less flamboyant, and a little more childish... ;) (Plus, in a weird way he's very attractive. Amazing eyes.)

Indeed, it is the Benedict Cumberbatch update. I really enjoy it. I felt worried they wouldn't be able to deliver on Moriarty after so much build up, but I thought their portrayal of him was awesome and totally worked.

On the other hand, trying to analyze Sherlock (or, I suppose various people real and fictional) through time and in the lens of the time he was originally portrayed in may be a somewhat silly exercise in some ways (I've seen the Asperger's Holmes analysis laid out fairly eloquently and convincingly) but on the other hand, well, a lot of folks on this site seem to call that a fun night in.
 

SilkRoad

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Indeed, it is the Benedict Cumberbatch update. I really enjoy it. I felt worried they wouldn't be able to deliver on Moriarty after so much build up, but I thought their portrayal of him was awesome and totally worked.

On the other hand, trying to analyze Sherlock (or, I suppose various people real and fictional) through time and in the lens of the time he was originally portrayed in may be a somewhat silly exercise in some ways (I've seen the Asperger's Holmes analysis laid out fairly eloquently and convincingly) but on the other hand, well, a lot of folks on this site seem to call that a fun night in.

It's both silly, and a fun night in. ;)

And yeah, Moriarty was great. Unconventional for the man (younger than usual, and openly psychopathic) but mesmerizing. And I liked the fact that he was definitely Irish, instead of what he usually is, an English guy with an Irish name.
 

SilkRoad

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Actually, I really doubt that Holmes has Aspergers (yes people, I'm treating him as a real person, it's just for fun!). Even by modern standards. A couple of reasons: for one, although he certainly comes across as a "calculating machine" a lot of the time, there is more of an averagely warm human heart there than you'd think, if you read closely. He cares a lot about Watson and he shows particular care for clients in very vulnerable positions, like some of the women. (It's funny, I've seen some describe Jeremy Brett's portrayal as pure calculating machine, and some as too emotional...he was a great balance of both, I think.)

Sorry if I'm stereotyping Aspergers, by the way, it's hardly my area of expertise, but I don't think someone on that spectrum would come across that way so much.

Also, he seems to have too keen an understanding of how to manipulate people socially. He can read emotions based on facial expressions, small gestures etc to an uncanny degree - even if he doesn't sympathize with them much. He can also turn on the charm to a frightening extent. There are a couple of scenes in the new series with Benedict C where he does this in a way which is both very funny and rather chilling.
 
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