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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

purplesunset

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What is an MBTI introvert? Someone who gets their energy from within. Now Mycroft was an introvert, for the whole point of the Diogenes Club was to have a place where people can avoid talking with the unwashed peons. But is it so clear that Holmes is an MBTI introvert? When left alone, instead of being energized, Sherlock Holmes becomes moody, bored, and fidgety. He indulges in opium for he would do anything to distract his mind from the tedium. Holmes becomes greatly energized when he is out on the hunt. Watson often remarked about the great change that took over Holmes when he was out and about sniffing for clues like a bloodhound. He would become oblivious to everything around him. Now if he was such an introvert, he would have found just as much pleasure staying inside, and analying a case from a purely theoretical perspective, but he greatly preferred getting his hands dirty. He was an extrovert since his energy came not from within, but from outside himself. This also helps to answer the following question: Was he a sensor or an intuitive?

What is an MBTI intuitive? One who prefers the abstract, and general over the tangible and the specific. Sherlock Holmes was a fiend for details. That was his obsession. If he let the slightest detail escape him, he would greatly reprimand himself. Although he used both inductive and deductive reasoning, he had a marked preference for inductive reasoning when it came to solving cases. He went in this order: inductive reasoning followed by deductive. He would look back on previous cases, and use the specific details of a past case in order to make a generalization (inductive) and then he would apply it to the case at hand (deductive). If he were an intuitive, he would have shown a preference for using deductive reasoning first. However, he used the specific details of his past experiences and inductive reasoning first.This combined with how much he loved to get his hands dirty indicates to me that he is a sensor.

Now, about F or T, I am not so sure. Sherlock Holmes liked to think and analyze therefore he must be a thinker, right? Of course not. What is an MBTI feeler? Feelers prefer ethics to make the decisions, while thinkers prefer logic. The funny thing is both methods can be subjective. A thinker could easily be too selective with his facts and make a logical but partial conclusion. Holmes was guided by principles and ethics, and this was what kept him from becoming Europe's greatest villain. If he was a thinker, he would have tried being the villain out of pure intellectual curiosity, but his ethics always held him back. This one is inconclusive to me, so I'm not sure if he was a thinker or a feeler.

P or J. J's like rules, while percievers like freedom. Right? Wrong. What is MBTI Judging? A judger is someone who uses their T/F axis to relate to the outside world, while a perciever uses their S/N axis to relate to the outside world. Holmes was a boxer, no slouch with a gun, and quite adept at wielding fire pokers or hunting crops when it came time to open up a can of ass whooping. His senses were keen, and this is how he related to the outside world when solving a case. Conclusion: His P'ness was long, thick and conspicuous without a doubt.


Sherlock Holmes was an ESXP if we use strict MBTI definitions. This is far from the biased INTX conclusions that people usually arrive at.
 
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thewoman1858

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Feb 7, 2010
Messages
7
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ISTP
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5
Not saying I disagree with you, but what do you make of this article:

SOLVED: The Mystery of Sherlock Holmes ~ THE MBTI BLOG

I am not sure that fictional characters can ever be adequately typed, but I enjoy other people's opinions. Please don't take me as snobbish or manipulative because I am trying to be neither, but I love Holmes and Watson and their endeavors so I had to say something.
 

purplesunset

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Not saying I disagree with you, but what do you make of this article:

SOLVED: The Mystery of Sherlock Holmes ~ THE MBTI BLOG

I am not sure that fictional characters can ever be adequately typed, but I enjoy other people's opinions. Please don't take me as snobbish or manipulative because I am trying to be neither, but I love Holmes and Watson and their endeavors so I had to say something.

I must commend that person for looking deeper, and not just falling for the old stereotypes (Sherlock is smart smart, so he must be an NT, ugh).

That article is not that different from my conclusions. In fact we have similar conclusions, but when it came to applying the letters, the person had a problem with having Sherlock's dominant function be extraverted sensing, so he changed the E to an I. We both agree that Holmes thrives on action, and I think an ESTP could be even more of an action fiend than an ISTP.

So according to the article, the main problem with my conclusion is: I put Holmes' dominant function as extraverted sensing.

I personally have no trouble with letting Se be his main function since that is what provides the fuel for his analysis. Is it possible that someone can use their auxilliary function as often as the dominant? It seems to me that Holmes uses Se and Ti/Fi about equally.
 

thewoman1858

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Feb 7, 2010
Messages
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MBTI Type
ISTP
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5
I see no flaw in your logic, but the only evidence I can collect is subjective so I can gauge it to read as I want it read. I do believe that Holmes wasn't an N, but other than that I can be flexible. I thought Holmes was a detailed oriented individual who uses the details to form conclusions. Perhaps I am narrow minded, but I would prefer to think I have a grasp on what the character was saying during his explanatory chapters, such as in the Study in Scarlet and the Sign of the Four. Perhaps I am wrong, but I will not be argued out of it.

What are you opinions of the other characters?
 

purplesunset

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Messages
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I see no flaw in your logic, but the only evidence I can collect is subjective so I can gauge it to read as I want it read. I do believe that Holmes wasn't an N, but other than that I can be flexible. I thought Holmes was a detailed oriented individual who uses the details to form conclusions. Perhaps I am narrow minded, but I would prefer to think I have a grasp on what the character was saying during his explanatory chapters, such as in the Study in Scarlet and the Sign of the Four. Perhaps I am wrong, but I will not be argued out of it.

What are you opinions of the other characters?

Your conclusions are fair and reasonable.

As for the other characters?

The only one I seriously thought about in MBTI terms was Watson, and he's an INFP who upholds a sense of duty (to patients, to country, to wife, and to Holmes) as one of his values. He is driven by that value thus is driven by Fi.

I think he is more N than Holmes because he unconsciously waxes lyrical and poetic much to Holmes' annoyance. He is capable of great physical exertion but something tells me that without Holmes as a catalyst, he would be content with just quietly serving his patients and spending time with his beautiful wife.
 

Contemptus

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Nov 15, 2009
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INtJ
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In the Sherlock Holmes movie as portrayed by Robert Downey Jnr he certainly comes off as an INTP... ? (I'm not trying to make any point that he was an NT in the books however)
 

purplesunset

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In the Sherlock Holmes movie as portrayed by Robert Downey Jnr he certainly comes off as an INTP... ? (I'm not trying to make any point that he was an NT in the books however)

Robert Downey junior probably had more to do with that than the screen writer. He is known to let his will supercede the director's/script writer's. He even thought Sherlock was gay...the loon.
 

Ace_

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Jun 2, 2009
Messages
233
MBTI Type
TNT
ISTP seems like a good fit.

Dr Watson subsequently assesses Holmes' abilities thus:

1. Knowledge of Literature — Nothing.
2. Knowledge of Philosophy — Nothing.
3. Knowledge of Astronomy — Nothing.
4. Knowledge of Politics — Feeble.
5. Knowledge of Botany — Variable. Well up in belladonna, opium and poisons generally. Knows nothing of practical gardening.
6. Knowledge of Geology — Practical, but limited. Tells at a glance different soils from each other. After walks, has shown me splashes upon his trousers, and told me by their colour and consistence in what part of London he had received them.
7. Knowledge of Chemistry — Profound.
8. Knowledge of Anatomy — Accurate, but unsystematic.
9. Knowledge of Sensational Literature — Immense. He appears to know every detail of every horror perpetrated in the century.
10. Plays the violin well.
11. Is an expert singlestick player, boxer and swordsman.
12. Has a good practical knowledge of British law.

This does not sound like an intuitive to me.
 

SilkRoad

Lay the coin on my tongue
Joined
May 26, 2009
Messages
3,932
MBTI Type
INFJ
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6w5
Instinctual Variant
sp/sx
ISTP seems like a good fit.

Dr Watson subsequently assesses Holmes' abilities thus:

1. Knowledge of Literature — Nothing.
2. Knowledge of Philosophy — Nothing.
3. Knowledge of Astronomy — Nothing.
4. Knowledge of Politics — Feeble.
5. Knowledge of Botany — Variable. Well up in belladonna, opium and poisons generally. Knows nothing of practical gardening.
6. Knowledge of Geology — Practical, but limited. Tells at a glance different soils from each other. After walks, has shown me splashes upon his trousers, and told me by their colour and consistence in what part of London he had received them.
7. Knowledge of Chemistry — Profound.
8. Knowledge of Anatomy — Accurate, but unsystematic.
9. Knowledge of Sensational Literature — Immense. He appears to know every detail of every horror perpetrated in the century.
10. Plays the violin well.
11. Is an expert singlestick player, boxer and swordsman.
12. Has a good practical knowledge of British law.

This does not sound like an intuitive to me.

But if you actually read the stories, you realise that this assessment by Watson is not entirely accurate. I think it was done at an early stage in their friendship. For one thing, Holmes has an excellent and extensive knowledge of literature. He frequently quotes the likes of Goethe, Hafiz, and Shakespeare. I think the same goes for philosophy. Not sure about history, but he seems to be perfectly well up on politics. There is a suggestion that Holmes may have been pulling Watson's leg a bit in the early part of their friendship by pretending he knew less about certain things than he actually did (really, this is just Conan Doyle developing the character further, but anyway!)

I'm going to reserve judgment for the moment on what I think Holmes's type might be. This is an interesting discussion.

Your conclusions are fair and reasonable.

As for the other characters?

The only one I seriously thought about in MBTI terms was Watson, and he's an INFP who upholds a sense of duty (to patients, to country, to wife, and to Holmes) as one of his values. He is driven by that value thus is driven by Fi.

I think he is more N than Holmes because he unconsciously waxes lyrical and poetic much to Holmes' annoyance. He is capable of great physical exertion but something tells me that without Holmes as a catalyst, he would be content with just quietly serving his patients and spending time with his beautiful wife.

Watson doesn't strike me as an N. Yes, he does occasionally wax lyrical and poetic but I'd say it's usually in a fairly conventional way. He's an intelligent man but his main qualities are his straightforwardness, loyalty and devotedness. I'd guess he's an ISFJ.
 

Orangey

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ESTP
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Now, about F or T, I am not so sure. Sherlock Holmes liked to think and analyze therefore he must be a thinker, right? Of course not. What is an MBTI feeler? Feelers prefer ethics to make the decisions, while thinkers prefer logic. The funny thing is both methods can be subjective. A thinker could easily be too selective with his facts and make a logical but partial conclusion. Holmes was guided by principles and ethics, and this was what kept him from becoming Europe's greatest villain. If he was a thinker, he would have tried being the villain out of pure intellectual curiosity, but his ethics always held him back. This one is inconclusive to me, so I'm not sure if he was a thinker or a feeler.

Oh dear. Surely you must realize what a bad argument this is? You could have saved yourself some words and just said that Ts are not ethical, therefore Sherlock Holmes (might not) be a T.
 

Two Point Two

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Joined
Dec 10, 2008
Messages
200
MBTI Type
INTJ
I personally have no trouble with letting Se be his main function since that is what provides the fuel for his analysis. Is it possible that someone can use their auxilliary function as often as the dominant? It seems to me that Holmes uses Se and Ti/Fi about equally.
I think it's less about how often a function is used, and more about the way it's used, or the priority placed on it, maybe.

Holmes may use a lot of Se, but is Se what motivates his use of Se? Or is Se used in order to, as you say, fuel another function - for example, Ti's analysis?

I'm not saying he is ISTP rather than ESTP; I've read very little Holmes. But my vague impression leans toward analysis feeding off detailed observation, rather than experiencing the moment and analysing some of it afterwards. Anyway, it's something to think about.

I also agree with Orangey - T does not in any way mean that you would try villainy out of curiosity. Ts are perfectly capable of functioning ethically and in accordance with principles; their ethics may be more reasoned-out than felt, although even that's not completely true because Ts do have tertiary or inferior F that contributes.
 

Valuable_Money

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Jun 19, 2009
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ENTP
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5w6
(Still thinks that E and I are functions as are P and J)

1257443836328.jpg
 

purplesunset

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I also agree with Orangey - T does not in any way mean that you would try villainy out of curiosity. Ts are perfectly capable of functioning ethically and in accordance with principles; their ethics may be more reasoned-out than felt, although even that's not completely true because Ts do have tertiary or inferior F that contributes.

You're right. T's can certainly have principles.

The reason why I worded my original post the way I did is because I wanted to undermine this silly notion that: "Sherlock loved to think, therefore he must be a T."

People simply type him as T without careful consideration because of a misunderstanding of what T/F means in MBTI terms.

I wanted to undermine that notion and create ambiguity, so I deliberately focused on showing how Sherlock was capable of using ethics, and not just pure logic, in his decision-making.

I'm being defensive because I'm just tired of people lazily typing anyone who thinks as a thinker :)

For example, I believe that I can argue that Isaac Newton could be an F (an INFP to be precise). But, of course, since he was a mathematician, he must be a T.
 

thewoman1858

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I reread A Study In Scarlet, The Sign of the Four, and Adventures of Sherlock Holmes very recently (the others I read at a later date, on multiple occasions) so the details are fresh(er) in my mind. I flipped through them the other night and I have a crap load of quotes that I believe can illustrate the detective- not all shown here, but I also accept that 'I' picked these quotes. I did not mean to ignore other potential evidence that could lead to alternative conclusions, but if I include everything, then you would be reading the stories themselves.

I have remained vague (sometimes) on my position, but I think I am going to come out and say that I believe Holmes is ISTP. I am frustrated by this and constantly try to argue for other alternatives (aka- I do not believe myself and him to be similar), but I have not come to another conclusion on my own. I seek peers for alternative ideas now.

I believe that some evidence has been presented for S and P characteristics, but I include below quotes that I think are suitable examples of I and T characteristics. ALSO- I am okay with being critiqued, but I am extremely out of my element in this. There is no quantitative data for me to measure, which frustrates me immensily and my roommate has encouraged me to voice my opinion so I will stop focusing on this and move on.

I- "This looks like one of those unwelcome social summonses which call upon a man either to be bored or to lie." Holmes referring to the original correspondence from a client in The Adventure of the Noble Bachelor
"Sherlock Holmes was transformed when he was hot upon such a scent as this...Lestrad and I walked behind him, the detective indifferent and contemptuous..." Watson describing the 'change' in Holmes and his lack of interest in his companions during The Boscombe Valley Mystery
E- "Holmes could talk exceedingly well when he chose, and that night he did choose." Watson describing a meal conversation with Athelney Jones in The Sign of the Four

So, I think there are instances where Holmes shows extraversion, but this is where I turn to you introverts and ask: don't you fake extraversion? To also support the idea that Holmes utilizes Se... ISTP's auxillary function is Se. Also to try and explain the argument that Holmes is depressed during his 'introverted phases'. Why doesn't the man walk out into the city just outside of his walls and engage in his needs? Finding people interesting isn't exactly a sure fire sign that an individual is extraverted, at least I don't think so.

T- "You hae attempted to tinge it with romanticism, which produces much the same effect as if you worked a love-story or an elopement into the fifth proposition of Euclid." Holmes referring to Watson's rendition of their initial adventure in The Sign of the Four
"You really are an automaton- a calculating machine." Watson talking about Holmes after he fails to observe Mary's beauty in The Sign of the Four

Maybe these are less of reasons why Holmes is a T and more of why I can't see him as an F. I comprehend being an F as basing decisions off of values (not saying Ts have none... cause I am one and I have values) and subjective reasoning. If this was the case, wouldn't the man be more open to developing a relationship, accepting Watson's flowery interpretations of their work, etc. Ts then rely on data, data, data to make bricks from clay... you may role your eyes now.

Here is my feeble opinion. I have more quotes... oh yes, and if my reasonings weren't clear or you have another opinion... please explain.
 

Craft

Probably Most Brilliant
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Jan 8, 2010
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sx/so
I was just reading "A Study in Scarlet" and "The Sign of Four". I believe the only type that makes sense for this detective is INTJ.

Ni - Sherlock Holmes is too theoretical and his words and cited words from several authors he read about were too abstract. He notices details because of the motive to solve the problems. He does this to ultimately prove his Ni.

The theories and patterns he created for "being a great detective" involves too much intuiting. He also gains further details from theories.

Te is right there.

"How small we feel with our petty ambitions and strivings in the presence of the great elemental forces!" - John Paul spoken by Holmes.

"Stern facts here--no room for theories." -Athelney Jones speaking to Holmes.

Not very convincing quotes but its tiring to search for evidence. I will add later.
 

Sol_

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Nov 12, 2008
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472
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ESTJ
"J's like rules, while percievers like freedom. Right? Wrong"

no
 

Craft

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E- "Holmes could talk exceedingly well when he chose, and that night he did choose." Watson describing a meal conversation with Athelney Jones in The Sign of the Four

That was only *when* he chose to talk. In most circumstances, he would prefer to think by himself until he is ready to unveil his masterful deduction. That is why introverts tend to be great detectives: their usual focus and well-thought out deductions.
 

Mr. Sherlock Holmes

Consulting Detective
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JiNe
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5W4
The only search results for this are for the movie or in other forums, so I guess all the old ones must have been deleted. I know people have typed him before. Anyway, after a lot of thought it is now my opinion that, despite popular belief, Holmes was probably an INTP, so I thought I would attempt to express that in written form, and then probably discuss the possibilities further as, as you probably know by now, he is my favourite character (which also means I'm potentially liable to bias on the subject). The following is written as fact, but that's just for simplicity's sake and nothing is definite.

Ti
Holmes is logical, and that much can't be denied. He places great importance on logic and has little respect for personal juedgement. He constantly drives for accuracy and going deeper and deeper until the case is solved, keeping track of all the little details of a case and noticing when there is a logical inconsistency, prompting an alternative theory. This can be expressed most obviously when he listens to a statement of the case, and also once he has observed clues. He doesn't take things as they are but makes deductions about the most probable cause of the situation as he can see it. His brain is organised and calculated, but his external life not as much. He seems mostly disinterested in external organisation and progress. His house is messy, he has no plans beyond discovering the truth and his methods and knowledge have been descibed as profound, but unsystematic. His entire proffesion is a search for truth, accuracy and information, and he values this and the process he takes to reach it. He will not take on a case unless it interests him or challenges his mental ability. He chooses to be a free agent rather than an official police officer as he only wishes to solve puzzles and has no interest in the menial duties of a police officer. While his Ne is used to theorise, the Ti controls and limits it so that he does not get ahead of himself, as can be seen in one of the quotes in my signature.

Ne
His sole purpose in life is to solve puzzles, and an important part of this is generating ideas. He loves things that twist his brain. Holmes is ruled by his Ti, searching for accuracy and narrowing down the posssibilities that his Ne produces. On a case he creates theories, which he devises or expands upon based on the evidence made available. As a metaphor for the Ti, Ne, Ti is a flock of pigeons and Ne is someone throwing out seeds (ideas). One of the seeds is a rock, which is the correct solution. The Ti birds pick at all the seeds until the only solution remaining is the correct one. Sometimes Holmes will make rather grand logical leaps, surprising the ordinary people, who are astounded that he ever could have thought of such a thing until he explains it. Ne also helps in the noticing details. People often claim Holmes is a sensor due to high Se (he probably does have well developed Se as well, but that doesn't mean he is not intuitive (he has very well developed functions all round)), but often Holmes preempts what he will find based on Ne and Si (which I will explain soon). Using what information he already has, he anticipates possibilities and searches for them. Here is a quote from "The Dancing Men".

"By George!" cried the inspector. "How ever did you see that?"

"Because I looked for it."

Si
Sherlock Holmes, as well as intuitively thinking of new possibilities, also relies a lot on previous knowledge and experience. In his area of interest, he has amassed an enormous collection of knowledge on everything to do with detection, and he frequently refers to this. Whether it is using knowledge gained on a previous case or identifying the make of a certain tyremark or perfume, he uses his database of experience frequently in his work. It aids him in his deduction. He sees something on someone, recognises that he has seen the same before and takes that previous experience and the solution it probeded into account in generating the solution at hand.

Fe
Holmes does not use Fe terribly often, though it is well-developed. He generally has a fairly amiable demeanour, despite sometimes putting people off with his dominant Ti behaviour, and his conformity to rigid logic. When he normally decides to make use of his Fe is when he is disguised or otherwise appeasing someone in order to solve a case. He is noted as a great host and managed to trick a woman into falling in love with him once. Fe is used more as a tool than anything else.



So there is my reasoning. If you find any major flaws, please tell me. Perhaps I have been off with my function understanding, but there is a fair chance I just expressed myself poorly or put something in the wrong section.

Now, discuss please. I think I'll make a poll.
 
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