#i think it's quite fitting that sherlock was the show that didn't stand the test of time

[edwardshundredyearoldspunk]

supernatural is trending for no reason? on the supernatural website? must be a day ending in y

[ytrairom]

Sherlock MBTI analysis

Disclaimer: I’m not a professional when it comes to psychology, I’m also not planning to become one. I researched a lot on MBTI types, read about other people’s thoughts and experiences with their type and also read a lot of character analysis, not only for BBC Sherlock but also for other shows. I also included the cognitive functions that are the base of the MBTI types. I respect other opinions. That being said let’s dive into this analysis :>

Sherlock Holmes – INTP the Logician

Since Sherlock is the main character of the show, we have a lot of material to analyze and giving him a MBTI type was therefore easier than for side characters.

Sherlock is clearly an introverted person; I doubt anyone would object to that. He doesn’t like interacting with people and prefers to do things alone. If he would take the personality test himself, he’d probably get a relatively high score in introversion, above 90% I’d say. He doesn’t get his energy from interacting with people.

Moving on to the next letter, the N which stands for Intuition. I’ve seen some people arguing that he is in fact a sensor (an ISTP) but I’m quite sure he’s an Intuitive. He is able to completely ignore his surroundings, he was talking to John for hours without noticing that John wasn’t even there. Typically, sensors are very aware of their surroundings and find it difficult to ignore what is happening around them. Sensors live in the present while Intuitives live more in the future. Intuitves are also people who tend to see possibilities while sensors like to rely on experience. The reason why people confuse Sherlock for a sensor is because Sherlock is very detail oriented when inspecting a crime scene and when he wants to be he is very aware of his surroundings and notices every small detail. However, Sherlock always notices the big picture. INTPs also like to think through a lot of ideas, they spend a lot of time thinking while ISTPs always start doing things. Sherlock’s mind palace and how he uses it is extremely untypical for an ISTP or a sensor in general but fits an INTP very well. Also INTPs are better at longterm planning than ISTPs and Sherlock is actually good at planning things if he wants to.

Sherlock prefers thinking over feeling, I’ve never seen anyone type him as a feeler. Sherlock makes his decisions based on logic. That doesn’t mean that he is coldhearted or devoid of emotions and empathy, he just prefers to do things based on logic not on feelings.

Sherlock is also more perceiving that judging, I don’t see why anyone would type him as a judger. In the original ACD books he may an INTJ (which I don’t know because I didn't of them, shame on me) but definitely not in the BBC adaption. He doesn’t follow any routines, is always open to new things and goes through life and his cases how it seems right in the situation. That doesn’t mean he is unable to stick to plans, we have seen him making plans and following through with them, it just doesn’t seem to be his preferred way of doing things. He can adapt to unforeseen circumstances and find a solution in the moment. He is also a risk taker. Maybe this is a bit of a stereotype, but Judgers tend to be more organized with their belongings and living space. Sherlock however can work in the greatest chaos and doesn’t even mind it, I sometimes think he works better in a little chaos.

Cognitive functions: Ti-Ne-Si-Fe (These come from the 4 letters his MBTI consists of. You possess 4 cognitive functions: 2 introverted ones and 2 extraverted ones. All of these are developed differently, your primary function is your most developed one and your inferior function your most underdeveloped one.)

Primary function: Introverted thinking. He constantly keeps is mind open to new information and concepts that help him understand the world. He uses Ti to solve problems and quickly understands complex ideas.

Auxiliary function: Extraverted Intuition. He sees possibilities everywhere. He uses Ne to experiment with what could be and find new innovative ideas. He likes to learn about multiple possibilities and gets restless when the environment doesn’t promote experimentation.

Tertiary function: Introverted Sensing. He recalls logical concepts and ideas quickly. He stores and effectively recalls past information when needed.

Inferior function (underdeveloped function): Extraverted feeling. He feels strongly for other people but is unsure how to express feelings for them. He prefers to rely on logic and facts though. He can be very emotional under stress.

When giving someone an MBTI type I always consider the cognitive functions and in this case, they made me fairly sure of my decision because to me Sherlock is an Ne-Si user not a Se-Ni user or a Te user.