DANCE WITH THE ELEPHANT: LIFE'S COSMIC EQUATION
"Because Your Life is Worth it!"
*This article is from the following website Dance with the Elephant did not write this article - but enjoy!* http://www.wikihow.com/Develop-the-'Sherlock-Holmes'-Intuition
How to Develop the 'Sherlock Holmes' Intuition
Edited by Alex James, Rob S, Flickety, Dvortygirl and 35 others
The quick wits and sharp observational skills of Sherlock Holmes used to analyze and solve the greatest mysteries is legendary. And even though Sherlock Holmes often expressed a need for the sleuthing to stick to the facts, his actions would often demonstrate that he was very reliant on his intuition as well, and clearly saw both logic and intuition as equal partners in solving the mysteries before him.
While it isn't possible to intuit everything in life, there are times when listening to our intuition is both sensible and helpful in reaching conclusions about such things as relationships, connections with others, and the suitability or otherwise of certain life choices. As for being able to work out what makes other people tick, there are some intuitive tricks you can rely upon to help you guess reasonably accurately and your intuition can easily be developed with a little practice and perseverance by following these easy steps.
1. Be accepting of your intuition. Holmes summarized his intuition thus: "It was easier to know it than to explain why I know it. If you were asked to prove that two and two made four, you might find some difficulty, and yet you are quite sure of the fact."[1] Yet, many people who consider themselves as "concrete" thinkers are reliant on evidence-based thinking processes tend to dismiss intuition as a folly and unreliable. It hasn't helped that intuition has long been attached to the supernatural – the oracles, seers, witches, wizards, and other mystical sources in history.[2] It is unfortunate that the misuse of intuition by charlatans has tarred its reputation but that doesn't mean it isn't a valid part of our thinking and decision-making processes provided it is balanced with examination of the facts and evidence before you. Many human beings have experienced making decisions on a "gut feeling" from time to time and have found the outcome to be satisfactory and sometimes even life-saving. Viewing intuition as "an educated counselor"[3] is a helpful way to perceive it; we receive guidance from our subconscious drawing on experience accumulated over the years, often in times of danger or problem-solving. And while the inexactitude of intuition simply means it cannot be relied upon alone as a source of reaching any conclusion, this means that all initial suppositions, theories, and hunches must be tested by logic and analysis of facts, not that it must be removed altogether from our processes of deduction.
2. Learn how to deduce things from studying a person. It is possible to work out quite a bit about how a person is feeling, whether or not they'relying, the things left unsaid, etc., by keen observation of the person before you. While some people are more attuned to reading the body language of others, everyone can learn this art if willing. Some of the things that you can do to improve your people reading skills include:
- Learn to read body language. There are plenty of books and online sites devoted to reading body language. Check out bestsellers such as A Definitive Guide to Body Language by Allan Pease and Barbara Pease, and others. Just be aware that reading body language does have its limitations because some people are good actors or deceivers, and sometimes you simply make terrible mistakes and misread the signals. Balance body language reading with other sources of intuition and the facts.
- Watch for the signs of lying and honesty. If you're going to be sleuthing or deducing like Sherlock Holmes, then you'll definitely need to know how to spot the signs of a liar and a truth-teller. For more details on how to do this, see How to spot lying, etc.
- Try people watching. Spending some time every week simply watching people in their daily comings and goings as you sit somewhere comfortable can teach you a great deal about people's habits, mannerisms, interactions, and personalities. While there is a lot of guesswork involved in people watching (deliberately, because that's what makes it fun), you can also try to hone your guesswork down to spotting specific behavioral traits and mannerisms that can serve as future reference for you. For more details on how to people watch, read Chase Hughes' site and How to begin people watching.
3.
Improve your powers of observation. One of the most notable things about Sherlock Holmes was that he observed things that other people missed; he was often stating such things as "You see, but you do not observe. The distinction is clear. "[6] This isn't magic and it isn't psychic mumbo-jumbo. It is simply about being very observant and taking time to spot the things that often get overlooked when people panic, assume, and rush around without consideration for the finer details. Improving your powers of observation can be done in various ways and each requires practice. Moreover, if you can stay calm and think clearly when in a pressured situation, you're already well ahead of many people. This is part personality, part confidence, part common sense, and part awareness of your surroundings, and it can take time to perfect if it doesn't come naturally to you. Other ways to improve your observation include:- Concentrate on improving your three most used senses - sight, smell, and sound, also sometimes referred to as S-3. The very fact that these are our most used senses means that we tend to take them for granted and make assumptions about what they detect. It is here that you must become more refined and fine-tune ways in which you use these senses, in order to make better use of them.
- Notice the right details that others miss, by being discerning. Not every detail before you has value. Use your discernment to focus on the details of relevance and significance - "It is the highest importance in the art of detection to be able to recognize out of a number of facts, which are incidental and which are vital."[7]. And don't dismiss the smallest details - Holmes made it clear that "The little things are infinitely the most important."[8]
- Practice with spotting style puzzles. Puzzles that ask you to find the difference between different images, puzzles that ask you to find hidden words and images, and puzzles that require you to navigate through mazes are all ways of honing your observation powers. Practice these frequently and time yourself to find things faster and faster without panicking.
- Quick quiz yourself and start learning to pay more observational attention to your surroundings. Here's an example of observing: Ever been to grandma's house? Is it a two story house? If it is, how many steps are there to reach the second story? How many bedrooms are there? How many beds are there in the bedrooms? If you don't know, you see but don't observe; in short, teach yourself to take in all the detail you can.
Comments