We all know that
Sherlock Holmes is a famous fictional detective created by
Arthur Conan Doyle in the late 19th century. Sherlock is brilliant in his use of deductive and
abductive reasoning as well as his absolute keen attention for detail.
Throughout the stories, Sherlock is portrayed as a man of profound wisdom, which is why we can call upon him now to learn about what it takes to live an exceptional life. We can't just let his assistant Watson get away with all these gems of wisdom, can we?
- Come, Watson, come! The game is afoot. Not a word! Into your clothes and come!
Sherlock lives his life with purpose. With purpose comes the excitement and enthusiasm that is seen in all children as they jump out of bed in the morning. Hopeful, and ready that today will be full of miraculous fun, unlike any other day that ever was or ever will be.
You can see Sherlock passing this lesson on to Watson, as he expects him to be just as excited about the latest and greatest piece of evidence that can be used to crack open that case today. Of course it will be up to Watson to create that excitement for himself, but it doesn't hurt to try, does it?
- Perhaps when a man has special knowledge and special powers like my own, it rather encourages him to seek a complex explanation when a simpler one is at hand.
Sherlock recognizes that his exceptional intellect sometimes acts as an obstacle in the way he rationalizes basic thoughts. He tends to be complex and over think relatively simple problems. There is no doubt that his frame of thought is invaluable for him as a detective but the truth stands that the shortest line between points A and B is a straight one.
How many times in our own lives do we tend to over think and over complicate relatively simple matters. We make things harder on our own selves, when there is not only no need for it, but the need for the contrary. The message here is to look for the fundamentals and let the shortest path guide you in your decisions.
- Vox populi, vox Dei. "The voice of the people is the voice of God."
Sherlock Holmes is quite obviously a scientist, yet he exhibits a reverence for God, the unexplainable. Part of what makes Sherlock so great, and what makes great men great, is that he is able to distinguish the fact that there is something bigger than himself.
Some people are too self-centered, and lack the focus to grasp a cause that is bigger than themselves, bigger than life, and something they are willing to give their life for. Not necessarily give their life for in the sense of dieing, but in the sense of living out their life dedicated to a purpose, perhaps a holy one, that will impact not only themselves but man-kind as a whole. All this while realizing that your impact could be meaningless.
- There, Watson, this infernal case had haunted me for ten days. I hereby banish it completely from my presence.
Persistence, the secret ingredient in productivity that is so often over looked. How bizarre that such a prolific detective as Sherlock would just give up and throw away a case because it did not fancy him. Perhaps there is something more than meets the eye, and giving up can be a great tool for productivity, especially when we're trying to push a brick wall.
As the appointed arbiters of our own lives we get to choose what we do with our time. If something in life is bringing us down, no matter how important we may think it is, we reserve the right to walk away from it. This may be hard at times, but can increase our enjoyment of life and our fulfillment many times over.
- There can be no question, my dear Watson, of the value of exercise before breakfast.
One productivity tool that I use is waking up early and exercising as the first thing of the day. This allows me to shake slumber from my brow and invigorates me to take on the entire world during the day.
Part of the message is to do it before breakfast, before our stomachs are full and we are weighed down. This is the perfect time to exercise our hearts by going on a 30 minute jog and flushing our bodies through with a quick sprout of oxygen. It's the special ingredient to productivity and intelligence that some scholars tend to over look.
- It is always awkward doing business with an alias.
This message carries a hidden meaning in it. On one hand, very bluntly, Sherlock means that using a different name or a disguise creates certain difficulties in conducting business. A lie on top of a lie is magnified and it becomes hard to remember what you should be inventing for the next person. This also kills off your ability to network as your name is not being passed around with good words.
The other meaning of this statement is the genuineness with which we live our lives. If you're a real man then you have a backbone to stand for something, and be committed fully to it. Whether it be family, God, or country, one must show his true colors wherever he is. Not to do so would be a disservice to oneself.
- I play the game for the game's own sake.
Ask yourself a simple question - why do you do things? Is it for the money, the reward, the power, or the fame? There is another alternative. Sherlock does things for the enjoyment of the thing itself. He is a detective because he loves the scientific approach to solving cases.
A big part of happiness is to take pleasure in what one has or what one is doing. Thus, by playing the game just for the fun of the game, one can maximize the pleasure of life. So no matter what you're occupation, relationship, religion, or whatever game it is that you're playing right now, immerse yourself fully in it and enjoy it no matter what the outcome should be.
- He is as tenacious as a bulldog when he once understands what he has to do.
Ready-aim-aim-aim-aim-aim and maybe fire. Over planning is likely the number one killer of productivity and the biggest cause of procrastination. We can do research on a subject indefinitely, if not making it simpler, making it much more complicated than it has to be.
By taking the ready-fire-aim approach we can use whatever information is already available, whatever we already understand, and take action immediately. We can then go ahead and make adjustments as we repeatedly take further action.
- To the man who loves art for its own sake, it is frequently in its least important and lowliest manifestations that the keenest pleasure is to be derived.
This applies not just to art, but to every nuance of life that a person can extract an experience from. The very essence of things -- pure, uncomplicated, and zenlike -- is what man most resonates with because atom to atom it is most similar to what we are.
This can be seen in all parts of life, but we can take a look at nutrition. There is a term called "close to the vine" which represents the fact that food, in it's simplest form is the healthiest. It gives us the most energy and resonates the most with what we're made of. The closer we are to nature and simplicity the more serene and holistic is our experience of life.
- I can't make bricks without clay.
All our goals and dreams are made up of certain steps that we have to take to accomplish them. Life is made up of a journey, and the ultimate end is our death. By constantly looking forward we are missing the elements that make up the future -- the present.
The present is the clay that makes up the bricks that make up our ambitious goals. Keep this in mind, enjoy the clay which is the present, because the ends are always inconsequential in comparison to the journey that it took to reach them.
- Come at once if convenient - if inconvenient come all the same.
In #4 above we mentioned that we have the power to choose to abandon whatever task, journey, or life that we have found ourselves living. However, persistence is still the propeller driving the boat of success. Successful people may not want to do something just as much as the next guy, but they'll recognize that it is good for them, persist, and stay their course.
- I cannot agree with those who rank modesty among the virtues. To the logician all things should be seen exactly as they are, and to underestimate one's self is as much a departure from truth as to exaggerate one's own powers.
I think Sherlock says it all here. To be truthful and realistic is best. To not give oneself to overconfidence and arrogance as well as to shy away from lack of pride and over humbleness. Of course we look at ourselves with a bias eye and it is not easy to evaluate ourselves.
By using other people in our lives as a mirror, and seeing how others react to us, we are in a better position to see ourselves for who we are. Not everyone will give us a fair and honest evaluation, so if you have people in your life that are sincere be sure to cherish them.
Alex
译文:
歇洛克·福尔摩斯不同一般的生活方式
众所周知，歇洛克·福尔摩斯，是19世纪后期，阿瑟·柯南·道尔笔下虚构的著名侦探。歇洛克在推理的应用，及绑架案的推论方面，具有相当的才华，同时，他在对细节的关注方面，也具有极其敏锐的观察力。
小说中，歇洛克被描绘成一个富有智慧的人，因此，我们今天可以从他的身上学到，怎样可以有一种不同寻常的生活。我们不能让他的助手华生，将这些智慧的珠宝给藏起来，不是吗？
来，华生，来吧！事件有进展了。什么也别说！穿上你的衣服跟我来！歇洛克的生活是有目的的。正因为有了目的，所以也就有了兴奋和激情，就如同是清早跳下床的孩子们所怀有的兴奋和激情。他们充满了希望，准备好迎接这一天不可思议的趣事，这一天，不同于过去，也不同于将来。
显然，歇洛克也将这一兴奋和激情感染着华生，期待着华生也和他同样地兴奋，因为在那一天，最新的、最确切的证据可以解开这一案子。当然，要看华生自己是不是愿意随之而兴奋了，但这样做的话，对他而言不是什么坏事，是吧？
如果有人，能象我这样，具有特殊的专长、特殊的才能，那么，当他可以轻而易举地解答一个问题的时候，就更愿意去寻找更为复杂的答案了。
歇洛克意识到，在他做一些基础性推理的时候，他超凡的智力总会给自己带来阻碍。他习惯把简单问题复杂化。作为一个侦探，他的思维体系无疑是无价之宝，然而，事实真象却往往是在点A和点B之间、距离最短的直线上。
生活中，我们总是把简单的事情考虑得非常复杂。我们使事情变得非常棘手，其实没有必要这么做，应该做的是相反，使简单的问题简单化。在这里，我们找到基本原理，让这些简直的方法指导你的决定。
Vox populi, vox Dei。“民意即是天意。”
歇洛克·福尔摩斯无疑是位科学家，而他也对上帝、及无法解释的事情表现出了尊重。这也是歇洛克如此伟大的原因之一，一个人之所以伟大，是由于他能够辨明，事实上有些事情是他本身的力量无法达到的。
有些人太自我为中心了，他们没有能力抓住更强大的力量，这种力量，比他们的自身，比他们的生命更为强大，并且使他们愿意为之付出生命。并不是说让他们付出生命去感觉死亡，而是为了让他们感觉到，为了某种目的而生活，或许是为了一种非常神圣的目的而生活，这样就会对他们自己，乃至于整个人类产生影响。这就会显现出，你对其产生的影响可能是毫无意义的。
华生，这个恶魔般的案子缠绕我十天了。我把它完全从自己的生活中除去了。
坚持不懈，这是事情之所以会见成效的秘密原因，而往往会被人们忽略。真是奇怪，象歇洛克这样，成功破获大量案件的侦探，竟然会放弃、丢掉一个案子，就因为这案子并不能吸引他。也许，事情并不象初次看到的那样简单，有时候，放弃，会使做事情更有成效，特别是当我们要推倒一堵砖墙的时候。
作为对于我们自己生活的仲裁者，我们要自己选择生活中做什么事情。如果生活中有些事情击败了我们，不管我们认为这件事是多么重要，我们有权力绕过它。有时这样做会很难，但是这样做，可以使我们更加享受到生活中的喜悦，做好其他的事情。
毫无疑问，我亲爱的华生，早餐前的锻炼非常有益。
为了使自己的工作能见成效，我常用的方法就是早上早起，起床后就锻炼身体。这就使我不再疲惫，而且鼓舞我接纳新的一天。
就是说，要在早餐前锻炼，我们的胃还没有塞满东西，我们还没有被胃里的食物压倒。这是锻炼的绝佳时机，我们持续30分钟慢跑，可以锻炼我们的心脏，而在这一过程中，氧气可以快速地跑遍我们的身体。这是容易被一些学者忽视的、提高工作效率和智力的特殊方法。
总是用化名破案，是很难受的一件事情。
这句话有一层隐含的意思。一方面，很坦率地说，歇洛克的意思是，在破案的时候，使用不同的名字，或伪装不同的身份，是很难的事情。建立在谎言之上的谎言会被放大，而当你在下一次，伪造另一个人的身份的时候，很容易忘了之前是否伪装过。而当你的名字被人们贬低传播的时候，你的才干也被否定了。
这句话的另一个意思是，我们要真正地活出我们自己。如果你是一个真正的男子汉，你就要有勇气面对任何事情，并且忠于它。不管是对于你的家庭、上帝，还是国家，一个人必须在什么情况下都显示自己的本色。否则，对自己是一种伤害。
我为了破案而破案。
问你一个简单的问题——你为什么要做事？是为了金钱，酬劳，权力，还是名声？这里还有一个选择。歇洛克做事是因为事情本身吸引了他。他之所以做侦探，是因为他喜欢用科学的方法解开案件。
生活中最愉快的事情是，对于已经做过，或正在做着的事情，怀有乐趣。因为，为了做事而做事，就可以获得生活中最大的快乐。因此，不管你是职业是什么、人际关系是什么、信仰的宗教是什么，也不管你现在正在做的是什么事情，完全将自己沉浸于事情当中，享受它，不管会有什么样的结果。
一旦他知道了自己该做什么，就会象一只斗头犬一样顽强。他会准备瞄准，然后射击。过多的计划，就象是高效的杀手，会极大程度上导致时机的延迟。我们可以在不确实的情况下研究一件事情，如果这一研究不能使它看上去简单易懂，那么就让它比实际上更为复杂吧。
我们接近目标的时候，运用一切可以用到的信息，运用一切我们已经理解的事物，立刻投入行动。于是，在我们重复着进行下一步的行动中，就可以不断前进，不断校正。
对于热爱艺术本身而追求艺术的人来说，最大的快乐常常来自于，事情不太重要的方面，或是最不明显的方面。
这一点并不仅仅适用于艺术，生活中每一处细微的地方，人们都能从中得出这样的经验。事情最本质的方面——那些纯粹的、简单的、富有哲理的方面——最容易引起人们的共鸣，因为它的每一处细小因子，都同我们非常相似。
这一点在生活中随处可见，但是我们可以看一看营养学。有一个词语叫作“就象是葡萄藤”，它描述了事实上，食物在健康中的简单形式。我们身体中大部分的能量都来自于食物。我们越接近自然，接近简单，我们生命中的经历就越平静，越完整。
没有粘土，我无法做砖。
我们的目标和梦想，都有特定的步骤组成，我们必须要完成它们。生命本身就象是一次旅程，而终点则是我们的死亡。由于持续不断地注视前方，我们忽视了组成将来的基本元素——即现在。
现在，就是泥土，用以做构成我们雄心勃勃的目标的砖。记住这一点，享受目前这些粘土，因为最终的结果，往往不同于到达终点所经历的旅程。
如果方便的话马上过来——不方便也一定要来。
在前面的第四点，我们提到，我们有权力选择放弃任何的任务、旅程，或是放弃我们自己陷入其中的生活方式。然而，坚持不懈仍然是驶向成功的推动器。成功人士可能不愿意做仅次于他的那个人同样的事情，但是他们明白，对他们来说，应当做的就是坚持不懈，且抱定一个目标。
我不同意那些在众多美德里夸奖谦逊的人。从逻辑上说，所有的事情都应该按照其本来面目而存在，低估，或夸大个人能力，都同样地远离真象。我想歇洛克表达了这一意思。最好的做法就是尊重事实，尊重真相。不要过于自负，过于自大，也不要由于缺少自信和过分谦逊，而躲避。当然我们看待自己的时候，总会带有偏见，因此很难正确评估我们自己。
将别人作为自己生活中的镜子，看别人对我们的反应，这样我们就可以站在一个较好的位置，看清我们自己。并非所有人会给我们一个公平、公正的评价，因此，如果你生活中确实有这样的朋友可以同你真诚相待，那么，应该好好珍惜他们。