How To Sound Like Sherlock Holmes For Beginners

Last update: 2, Sep, 2023.

Making deductions like Sherlock Holmes is easier and less complicated than you think. Although Sherlock is capable of making complicated deductions with long string of thought behind them, we as beginners can totally replicate it easily.

You might want to read: What makes Sherlock Holmes deduction so striking?

I will give you my real-life situation example so you can apply for yourself too.

As beginners, let’s take a really simple observation: I saw my friend have a small-sized plastic cup with the label Pepsi on the side of driving wheel.

A little background knowledge. You can only see this type of cup in Casinos, they give you free drink in these cups inside. This is why I advised you to build data in local area.

You might want to read: Data Building for Deduction

This is barely a deduction but you can say he went to a casino recently.

Now, what not to do is to ask him right away: “Did you go to the casino recently?” This would start a conversation, but it doesn’t make you Sherlock Holmes.

Instead, keep that in mind, wait, unless you find an opportunity in the conversation, use your “deduction” as an ice breaker or conversation starter: ” So did you win at the casino the other day?”

This question is specific enough to make people think that you know, and vague enough to make it true.

They also couldn’t explain how you do it because there’s no clue right then. Why? because you made this deduction a few minutes ago.

This is another example of such question.

I matched with this girl on Tinder and through conversation, I was able to deduce that she is studying to be a Lawyer, 80% sure. Spoiler alert, she is a Lawyer, not studying to be one.

She asked me what I do, I replied and asked: “Will my profession and lawyer make a good couple?”.

It was too potent in this case because she was all worried about how I knew it. Fast forward, we didn’t see eye to eye because she got skeptical of me knowing her in real life. Good feeling when you get it right though.

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Now, in real life, in case you don’t want people to know that you deduce, prevent them from keeping their guards up around you or whatever,

You can just simply say: “Oh, I saw you.”