Sherlock Holmes Reflection

Through the Sherlock Holmes story “The Adventure of the Speckled Band” by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and the article “How to Solve Problems Like Sherlock Holmes” by Jennifer Miller, I have learned that reaching the correct conclusion about a problem requires complete focus on the case. This focus is required for effective observation of the details, however small they may be, and what these details could mean. In “The Adventure of the Speckled Band”, Sherlock comes to the correct conclusion after only inspecting the sister’s room for a short time. He sees the ventilator that leads to the doctor’s room, the bell rope above the bed, and the bolts holding the bed in place. Sherlock combines this with the knowledge that the doctor does not want his daughter to get married and that the he likes exotic animals to conclude that the doctor put a snake through the ventilator which then climbed down the rope and bit the daughter. This rapid reaching of conclusion took a certain level of focus on the evidence and the possibilities that they hinted at that no one but Sherlock had. In “How to Solve Problems Like Sherlock Holmes”, Miller refers to Maria Konnikova who said that Sherlock is able to access this level of focus, because he does not try to multitask like the rest of us. He understands that the only way truly be observant is by clearing from one’s mind except the facts of the case. This gives his brain a high level of productivity and higher level thinking that few others are able to achieve. I agree with the idea that multitasking actually reduces productivity. I have noticed in my own experience that when I have many things I need to accomplish, I can get it all done when I focus on one thing at a time. This idea also applies directly to the Sherlock Holmes story I read. When Watson and Sherlock go into the daughter’s room, Sherlock begins to inspect things closely and individually. Watson however, just looks at the room and all of the evidence as a whole. As a result, Sherlock is able reach the correct conclusion while Watson is still struggling to figure out what happened. I plan on using this information in my own life  by reducing the amount that I multitask and will focus on each thing individually instead.

Citations:

Miller, J. (2013, January 15). How To Solve Problems Like Sherlock Holmes. Retrieved March 10, 2015, from http://www.fastcocreate.com/1682203/how-to-solve-problems-like-sherlock-holmes