MBTI Type: ISFJ

Watson has chosen a profession that demands his attentiveness to detail and a long-term commitment: to become a doctor. He is a meticulous student who easily pays attention in class and gets good grades, but also frets about how he is going to explain things to his father if he gets into trouble. He is fussy about his environment and appearance and his books, fond of eating lemon cakes, and scoffs when Holmes admits he expected to master the violin in three days! (Everyone knows true skill takes a lot longer than that.) Watson is quite enthusiastic and easily falls in with Holmes, going along with his schemes and being in awe of his intellect. He cheers alongside the other students when Holmes defeats Dudley and finds the trophy, he gets Elizabeth to like him without much effort, and he even talks sweetly to the dog. He’s very curious about everything, but leaves problem-solving to Holmes more often than he tries it for himself. He admits that he’s not good at abstract problems, and struggles to come up with logical reasons for solving Holmes’ puzzle about the bear (“he’s white,” he exclaims, but only because “that’s the one color I haven’t tried!”). Watson prefers to keep his feet on the ground, but is also prone to a bit of wild theorizing now and again and enjoys puzzling over Holmes’ riddle – more often, however, he becomes fearful under stress and frets about how wrong everything is going and how it’s going to destroy his medical career and then he’ll be expelled and homeless and a failure. All of his worst-case scenarios are realistic and possible negative outcomes, which is what makes them inferior Ne.

Enneagram: 6w7 sp/so

Watson is more fearful than Elizabeth or Holmes—he is the one who worries about getting caught, getting found out by the professors, sneaking into the Library at night to do research, and thinks that he can kiss his future goodbye because Holmes is going to get him expelled. Nor does he want to go on dangerous adventures; he suggests going home and coming back to the alley “when it’s lighter outside” (not in the dead of night). When they find a bunch of lunatics inside the pyramid, Watson suggests going elsewhere before they get discovered. He often leaves the problem-solving to Holmes, and doesn’t initially trust himself to save his friend from the fire (but he rises to the occasion after all). Watson doesn’t take anything too personally, either. And he has an adventurous, over-indulgent side; he said London was quite different from home in the country, and he loved every minute of it—being thrust into life and its grand adventures. He is often eating, talking about food, or looking to his own comfort, but isn’t afraid to take risks either, including when he climbs on the back of the flying machine against his own better judgment (and then complains about sinking when they land in the Thames).

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