7 Life Lessons We Can Learn From Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson

As we await the return of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson in the upcoming series four of the show, it’s worth taking a look back at what the characters have taught us in the past. Beyond just sharing some thrilling crime-solving stories, these characters have imparted some important life lessons on us that we may not even have realized until now. Here are seven such lessons that we can learn from Sherlock and Watson.

1. Pay Attention to Details

One of the reasons why Sherlock Holmes is such a masterful detective is because he has an incredible attention to detail. He’s able to notice things that most of us would generally overlook. We often miss out on solutions that are right in front of us simply because we’re not paying enough attention to the details. While it might be difficult to develop Sherlock’s level of detail-orientation, it’s still worth striving for. It could come in handy in solving problems or even just in our daily lives.

2. Focus on What Really Matters

Sherlock has a pretty practical philosophy when it comes to the things he puts in his head – only include things that are useful. He believes that allowing peripheral distractions into one’s mind can make it difficult to focus on the things that truly matter. We should say no to the things that distract us from our goals and pay more attention to the things that are really important. By limiting the unnecessary information that we take in, we’ll have more space in our minds for the things that really matter.

3. Create Your Own Job

Sherlock Holmes teaches us that it’s perfectly fine to be unemployed or unemployable. Instead of letting that stop us from doing what we’re passionate about, we should create our own jobs. If we know our strengths and skills well, and we give it our best effort, we can achieve our goals and make a career for ourselves. It’s a message of self-sufficiency that anyone can appreciate.

4. One Good and Like-Minded Friend is All You Need

In a world where we’re presented with the idea that more friends equal more happiness, Sherlock shows us that one good friend is all we really need. Dr. John Watson is the only person that Sherlock truly confides in and relies on. Having a friend who understands you, is honest with you, and guides you when necessary is invaluable. It’s not necessary for that person to be a twin to us in terms of personality, but rather someone who values and supports us.

5. Don’t Let Failures and Criticism Define You

No matter how great we think we are, it’s inevitable that we’ll face failures and criticism at some point in our lives. Rather than allowing these setbacks to defeat us, we should use them as opportunities to learn and grow. Sherlock has faced his fair share of criticism throughout the series, yet he continues to pursue his goals despite the negative feedback. By following this mindset, we can remain resilient and determined no matter what challenges we face.

6. There is Always More Than One Way to Solve a Problem

Sherlock is known for taking a variety of approaches to solve problems. He’ll disguise himself, gather information, and use deception to get the job done. When one approach fails, he simply looks for other options to explore. The lesson here is that we should never feel limited to just one way of tackling a problem, and there may be several ways to reach a desired outcome.

7. Don’t Judge a Book By Its Cover

Finally, we should never judge someone based solely on their initial appearance or actions. We may end up surprised, as Sherlock did when he first met his enemy Moriarty, who he had judged to be gay only to find out that he was actually something entirely different. Judging someone prematurely can lead us to miss the deeper layers of a person’s personality, and it’s important to refrain from making assumptions based on superficial information.

Conclusion

Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson have provided us with many valuable life lessons. These are just a few examples, and there are likely many more for viewers to discover. As we look forward to the next season, we can only hope that it will continue to both entertain us and teach us important lessons.