Why Sherlockians Are Jerks

 You know how the day job goes. Management can just be really stupid.

I was pondering that everyday irritation today, and my mind wandered to Sherlock Holmes, as it often does. Like so many that come to Sherlock Holmes fandom, something in Holmes feels relatable, a kindred spirit, who likes to solve a problem, maybe do a dramatic reveal, or just spend some relaxing time wading through some books and papers looking for patterns and revelations. And, like Sherlock Holmes, I don't really want to lead or follow, just see where the road takes me.

But those who do decide to lead, whether for ambition, salary, or both, are not often Sherlock Holmes. And a Sherlockian mind, given to analysis, finding the hidden problems, the flaw in the master plan ... well, if there's a criticism to be found, a Sherlockian mind will find it.

In at least one adaptation, a point was made that Sherlock Holmes's powers of observation could be a curse, as he constantly was taking in too much information. That bit overlooked his great ability to focus his attention, as symbolized by the iconic magnifying glass, and ignore the rest. But as the same time, if cracks in anything were in front of him, he was going to see it. Sherlock Holmes saw a lot of stupid.

But he was also kindlier than we shall ever know. He didn't mock everyone he met, and a lot of times did it in clever, under the radar ways. He certainly could have been a lot more of a jerk than his worst screen portrayal, because he had the ammunition. So much ammunition. But he kept his quip-shooter holstered more times than not. Even if it could be devastatingly penetrating when it was used, the silence of its non-use was much more common.

We're not all like that, or relate to that, of course. There are plenty of sweet and kind Sherlockians out there. Some who love Holmes as Watson loved Holmes, admiring without identifying.

And then there are the jerks. Sherlockiana has more than a few jerks. And we attract jerks, because the light bulb to our moth-like path is Sherlock Holmes. And while we all know we're not as smart as Sherlock Holmes, though we aspire to be, we don't all know that we're not as kindly as Sherlock Holmes. Some of us as quite blind to that side of self-awareness. 

And you know who really, really hates the jerks among us? 

Other jerks. Because when you see the flaws in every diamond, you can't miss the big shiny showstopper with a big old glob of yuck on it.

Yet Sherlockians all are we who do love Mr. Sherlock Holmes, whatever the reason. Just some of us are jerks. And the title of this essay really should have been "Why SOME Sherlockians Are Jerks," because so many among us are just sweeties. But I used the shorter, click-bait version to get you to read it, because, you know . . . I'm just a jerk.