Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) has been popular among the younger generation. They have tried to understand each other and are obsessed with analyzing people by their MBTIs.
MBTIs are not only used to analyse real persons, but also be used to analyse fictional characters. One of the characters analysed is dr. John Hamish Watson, the narrator of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes series.
According to Simply Psychology, MBTI has 16 types of personalities to analyse how people perceive the world and make decisions. MBTI explores at least four key dimensions, such as energy focus, information processing, decision making, and lifestyle approach.
MBTI Fiction claimed that dr. Watson is an ISFJ type of personality, which is an Introverted-Sensing-Feeling-Judging kind of person. Do you think it’s true? Let’s see if he is indeed an ISFJ man like the claim.
As an Introverted person, dr. John Watson rarely spent his time in a huge circle of friends. The day he met Sherlock Holmes, they immediately became a perfect duo by sharing the same energy focus: introverted.
On the other hand, dr. Watson doesn’t let himself be part of Holmes’ chaotic life. He keeps the boundaries between them and minds his own business. Even though, dr. Watson has a good communication skill, he spares time to recharge his social battery by staying at home and writing blogs.
As a narrator, dr. Watson shares his ability to focus on details, clear instructions, and learn from the past experiences. He explains the detail of Sherlock Holmes’ character, his roommate’s instruction while solving mystery, and remembers small things about people he met. It explains how Sensing type of person he is.
In terms of the Feeling personality, dr. John Watson appears as an excellent partner for Sherlock Holmes. He is loyal, supportive, and empathetic. While Holmes is often portrayed as an unempathetic individual, Watson shows the opposite. Holmes tends to view the victims of a case as part of a system, whereas Watson responds with genuine emotion, expressing sadness, anger, and compassion.
Finally, as a Judging individual, dr. Watson reflects his personality through organized and structured actions. He plans things carefully and considers the impact of his decisions on others. He also prefers tasks with clear conclusions rather than those that remain open-ended, especially in the context of his work with Holmes.
As an ISFJ personality type, dr. Watson is often referred to as a ‘Defender,’ a role characterized by loyalty, supportiveness, and protectiveness within a group. He takes his responsibilities very seriously and remains focused on practical realities.
Dr. Watson is more than just a good roommate. He is the perfect side-kick for Sherlock Holmes by being a good colleague in shaping narration of “what kind of detective” Sherlock Holmes is. After all, we couldn’t love Sherlock Holmes’ adventure, if we didn’t pay attention to dr. Watson’s role.
