fall (fôl): To drop or come down freely under the influence of gravity.
(Source: mrjwatson)
Sherlock mirroring John.
Oh, look, another symptom of Asperger’s Syndrome, not sociopathy.
Okay, it’s unpopular opinion time. Ignore me if you wish.
Alright. Let me start this little rant by saying that I’m absolutely sick of people claiming Sherlock Holmes to be a ‘sociopath’. He isn’t. Allow me to also say that I know how similar Asperger’s and sociopathy can seem, in certain cases, and that’s because I was misdiagnosed as a sociopath awhile back. I have Asperger’s Syndrome. As does Sherlock.
Common symptoms of high-functioning sociopathy:
- Superficial charm
- Manipulative and conning
- Grandiose sense of self
- Pathological lying
- Lack of remorse, shame, or guilt
- Incapability to love
- Need for stimulation
- Lack of empathy/inability to relate
- Irresponsibility
- Lack of realistic life plan
- Extreme intelligence
Common symptoms of high-functioning Asperger’s Syndrome:
- Issues picking in on social cues (ex: When someone is upset with them, or being sarcastic, it’s very hard for them to tell)
- Appear to lack empathy/inability to relate
- His or her speech may be flat
- Formal style of speaking
- May avoid eye contact (me) or stare at others (Sherlock)
- Talk a lot, usually on favorite subject; inability to tell when boring the listener
- Internal thoughts are often verbalized (ex: Seeming blunt or rude by telling someone they’re stupid, merely because they have no filter)
- Extremely heightened senses (GEE I WONDER WHY SHERLOCK CAN SMELL AND HEAR AND TASTE AND SEE EVERYTHING)
- Highly intelligent/logical way of thinking
- Tendency to mimic others, especially people they like (JAWN)
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Typically only keep few, very close friends
- Can go days without speaking, and eating very little, especially when drained
SO NOW THAT THAT’S COVERED. Let’s move on, shall we?
Sherlock Holmes grew up with the Holmes family, a respectable family. Behavior is learned, especially for those with Asperger’s. Why is Sherlock so proper? Why is he so cunning? Why does he dress the way he does? Well, that may just have something to do with the people he grew up with.
Is he manipulating? Of course. Yet, isn’t Mycroft? Hm. I wonder where he learned that trait. Not only that, but he’s doing it for basic information, not just for pure entertainment as a sociopath would. Let’s be serious. He doesn’t fool around. Oh, did I mention that’s another symptom of Asperger’s? Conversation and action for purpose, not for pleasure; very precise.
Let’s also toy around with a very common controversial topic within the Sherlock fandom: Sherlock does feel. He does love. He does care. The whole reason he jumped was because he cared. He cares for John, he cares for Mrs. Hudson, and he cares for Lestrade. John is his best friend, Mrs. Hudson is his mother figure, and Lestrade is his friend and his work. Without those, he would have been nothing. It would have destroyed him. Therefore, he destroyed himself in sacrifice (which we all know was faked, blah, blah, but the sentiment is still there, blah, blah).
While Sherlock may not have the physically clumsy symptoms of those with Asperger’s (I don’t either), that’s typical for someone of his age, as it’s something you usually grow out of as you get older. Asperger’s is a lifelong disorder. It never goes away, and there’s no medication that targets each symptom. You treat what you can, and live with what you can’t.
His need for stimulation, I think, has to do with his basic frustration and his work, as a matter of fact. Sherlock does drugs. Okay? That’s common knowledge within this fandom. He likes his drugs. Why does he do them? Well, to quote him, ‘they help him think’.
In all reality, it’s somewhat correct. The drugs Sherlock takes heighten his senses to an even more extreme degree, making him the observant smartass that he is. Not only that, but they speed up his thought process, and mixing that all in with his intelligence level, makes for one smart cookie.
I also believe that he’s just…frustrated. It’s hard. It really is. He knows he’s not like everyone else, which is why he’s clung onto the sociopath nonsense. He truly believes that he is a sociopath, probably because he’s done research on it and saw a partial match. It was something, finally something, he could relate to. Because I did the same goddamn thing. He knows it doesn’t fit perfectly. Moriarty knows it doesn’t fit perfectly. ‘We both know that’s not quite true’. He knows. He just has nothing else to hold onto.
Rant over. Knowledge is power. Blah, blah, blah.
The end.
YES
[cw: abuse, murder, ableism, elementary spoilers e3]
It’s just that I thought it would be different with Elementary. I thought the whole amoral=emotionless=inhuman trope could maybe be avoided? They did that to death in BBC Sherlock, especially the fandom, and although I had to block a couple of elementapeeps for insisting JLMHolmes is “more human,” I figured the ableism would maybe be less in a show/fandom that didn’t revolve around a character such as BBCSherlock that even the writers and actor don’t seem to fully understand, let alone the fandom…and don’t even get me started on how people talk about Moriarty as some blood-dripping kinky fiend…
And JLM Holmes is emotional in a far more visible way (well to neurotypicals - it is not hard to see emotion in BBCSherlock if you know how to look; it stares me in the face). So I figured a show centered around this type of character wouldn’t have the same problems that make me so damn uncomfortable with the Sherlock fandom. Perhaps I was just waaaaay too optimistic. Probably.
And then Adam.
Thing is, though, Adam really isn’t the amoral=emotionless=inhuman type either and I find it really fucking annoying to treat him like one.
What Holmes said about his abuse…that doesn’t suddenly disappear at the “twist.” He was a little kid when he was taken; he didn’t turn the tables overnight. He went through hell.
And Holmes…Holmes overidentifies with a particular type (at least so far). The type with the uncontrolled emotional pain of some kind. The person whose emotions push them into actions they later regret. Whose urges they don’t entirely understand or control. It wasn’t just about taking advantage, though that was important - it was the whole impulsive aspect.
Adam fits that, is the thing. No matter how poised he was in the bedroom encounter, he has vast swathes of emotional pain and it leaks out and explodes and pushes him to do things.
They are not good things, nor are the especially forgivable, but they are not a matter of too little emotion, but rather of too much, and no suitable outlet, no role model, no nothing. We can acknowledge that emotion and abuse are factors without forgiving his horrific actions.
It isn’t a simple haha fooled ya you were totally wrong Machiavellianschemer thing. Sherlock knows abuse, he knows ways it can fuck with you - it just screwed with this kid a different way than it did Sherlock, but his instincts were not all off the mark. There is that similarity.
I mean that is the whole point of JLMSherlock as a character, the way emotions and impulses make you explode and screw up — it’s not about a lack of feelings, perceived or imagined, or any of that. How feelings don’t make you a sainted wonderful queen of empathy but in fact can cause loads of damage.
Also I have to wonder why this kid is apparently the emotionless Machiavelli Moriarty type when, in fact, the criminal we have seen, so far, with the least emotional reason for the crimes, was the lady in the second episode. All we know of her motives is money, and yet somehow she is not the cunning emotionless trope - but a scarred horrifically abused kid with serious emotional issues is? I really do question that. Is it another white dude thing, or her lack of screentime? maybe both?
I hugely appreciate the fact that, as the OP says, Elementary addresses emotions and impulses and how they can really screw people up and aren’t always a good thing (especially when it comes to abuse and mental illness/disability—which is so remarkable). But it makes me so, so uncomfortable when people do that whole “oh, Elementary Sherlock is so much more feeling and emotional and human.” Or the more flippant “BBC Sherlock could never” (and variations thereof) because you are right! No, he probably couldn’t.
But there you go, tryin’ to make disordered people feel bad about themselves for things they can’t help! That’s probably really helpful, great idea! (super ironic considering how insightful and instructive Elementary has been in terms of this specific issue.)
this is the gigantic-fill-every-harry-potter-ask-in-one-post post
i’m not going to list all the asks but if you requested any sherlock/harry potter you can probably consider it filled
quidditch practice
the ball (maybe they are also professors here~ )
moriarty is a dick in every universe
patronus
stupid animagus
raven!sherlock wtf are u even doin
(Source: sueslayer)
Reblogging for those who use BBC’s 221B as their palace.
Brilliant!
(Source: spiceinthecoffee)
Dear fandom,
I know things are rough right now, but just remember:
- at some point, John and Sherlock actually played Cluedo
- John and Sherlock dressed up as and played the parts of ninjas
- Molly has a cat named Toby (NB: also the name of Holmes’ canine friend in the Sir ACD canon)
- Jim Moriarty watched at least one episode of Glee
