Sunday's fun fact on inferences:
Arthur Conan Doyle's fictional character "Sherlock Holmes" is based on his real-life professor under whom he studied medicine,Dr. Joseph Bell.
"It is most certainly to you that I owe Sherlock Holmes and though in the stories I have the advantage
Arthur Conan Doyle's fictional character "Sherlock Holmes" is based on his real-life professor under whom he studied medicine,Dr. Joseph Bell.
"It is most certainly to you that I owe Sherlock Holmes and though in the stories I have the advantage
...of being able to place Sherlock in all sorts of dramatic positions, I do not think his analytical work is in the least exaggeration of some effects which I have seen you produce in the outpatient ward"
wrote Conan Doyle in a letter to Dr. Bell.
wrote Conan Doyle in a letter to Dr. Bell.
Apparently, other than his medical education, Dr. Bell was also very knowledgeable in other areas such as geography and the cultures, the dialects, patterns of speech and behavior, the army, and more. He was also very observant.
He was able to combine years of study and experience as a medical professional with his observational skills and his diverse knowledge of people and the world to draw reasoned conclusions and diagnostics about a patient's illness.
An example that Conan Doyle gave in his memoirs:
An example that Conan Doyle gave in his memoirs:
***
Dr. Bell: "Well my man, you've served in the army"
Patient: "Aye, Sir"
B: "Not long discharged?"
P: "No, Sir"
B: "A highland regiment?"
P: "Aye, sir"
B: "A non-comissioned officer"
P: "Aye, Sir"
B: "Stationed at Barbados"
P: "Aye, Sir"
...
Dr. Bell: "Well my man, you've served in the army"
Patient: "Aye, Sir"
B: "Not long discharged?"
P: "No, Sir"
B: "A highland regiment?"
P: "Aye, sir"
B: "A non-comissioned officer"
P: "Aye, Sir"
B: "Stationed at Barbados"
P: "Aye, Sir"
...
He would explain: "You see gentleman, the man was a respectful man, but he did not remove his hat. They do not in the army, but he would have learned civilian ways had he been long discharged. He has an air of authority and he is obviously Scottish. As to Barbados, his...
...complaint is of elephantiasis, which is West Indian and not British."
***
To his audience of Watsons it all seemed very miraculous until it was explained, and then it was simple enough.
***
To his audience of Watsons it all seemed very miraculous until it was explained, and then it was simple enough.
Conan Doyle added in his mermoir: 'It is no wonder that after the study of such a character I used and amplified his methods when in later life I tried to build up a scientific detective who solved cases in his own merits'
But my favorite takeway of this whole story is this:
That it is not good observational skills alone that make someone "able to read people like open books" and making correct inferences takes a lot more than just that.
That it is not good observational skills alone that make someone "able to read people like open books" and making correct inferences takes a lot more than just that.
It is observation combined with detailed and often diverse knowledge that provides the bedrock for a more informed way of thinking and gives an edge in reading people, actions and situations correctly.
Dr.Bell combined his knowledge of medicine to other areas he had studied and his unique observational process. You can adapt it whether you study APTS, do #ThreatIntel /any type of #IntelligenceAnalysis, #CrimeAnalysis, #Profiling on whatever the context of your unique work is
