Deductive reasoning uses available facts, information, or knowledge to deduce a valid conclusion, whereas inductive reasoning involves making a generalization from specific facts, and observations. Deductive reasoning uses a top-down approach, whereas inductive reasoning uses a bottom-up approach.

A deductive argument is said to be valid if and only if it takes a form that makes it impossible for the premises to be true and the conclusion nevertheless to be false. Otherwise, a deductive argument is said to be invalid.

Judging Arguments Evaluating an argument is the most important skill of critical thinking. It involves finding the conclusion and premises, checking to see if the argument is deductive or inductive, determining its validity or strength, and discovering if the premises are true or false.

Sherlock Holmes never uses deductive reasoning to assist him in solving a crime. Instead, he uses inductive reasoning. Deductive reasoning starts with a hypothesis that examines facts and then reaches a logical conclusion. In math terms, think of it this way: A=B, B=C, therefore A=C.

7 Life Lessons You Can Learn From Sherlock Holmes

• Be observant. “You see, but you do not observe.”
• Trust facts. “Data!
• Remain objective. “Sentiment is a chemical defect found in the losing side.”
• Never give up. “My life is spent in one long effort to escape from the commonplaces of existence.”
• Stay a step ahead.
• Have that one close friend.
• Think outside the box.

In order to have intuition like Sherlock Holmes, you need to be a creative and reflexive thinker. If you build habits, resist change, and try to categorize the world, then you won’t be able to train your mind to capture and process the reality of the world around you.

In the show, Sherlock is presented as a “sociopath”, but in truth, he’s not alone. Not really. He has his brother Mycroft who looks after him (even if they have an awful relationship), two apparently loving parents, Lestrade who gives him a purpose and listens to him.

Colin Cloud is often billed as “the real-life Sherlock Holmes” – and it’s little mystery why. The trained forensic scientist has built a career out of entertaining crowds around the world with his powers of observation and skills of deduction.

Sir Ignatius Arthur Conan Doyle was the author of the wonderful Sherlock Holmes stories but he was also the infamous serial killer Jack the Ripper. Unlike most people he liked to dramatize his homicidal tendencies and in a letter to his mother upon graduation from medical school he claimed he had a license to kill.

Holmes is unique compared to an average human, but he is not a “high- functioning sociopath.” Holmes most likely suffers from Asperger’s Syndrome, a minor case of Bipolar Disorder, and a hint of Savant Syndrome. Asperger’s Syndrome causes Holmes to think in pictures and desire a close companionship with Dr. Watson.

His habits, his knowledge and his peculiar skillset all have led me to deduce that he was likely to be of a character often found in one who is living with undiagnosed (understandably so at the time), Attention Deficit Disorder.