Book: A study in scarlet

They say genius is above all the ability to work tirelessly. A completely wrong definition, but in relation to the work of a detective, it is true.

Observation is second nature to me.

Like any other art form, the art of deduction and analysis can only be mastered through long and painstaking work, but life is too short for any mortal to come even remotely close to perfection in it.

... in my opinion, the human brain is originally a small empty attic, which you have to furnish at your own discretion. The fool drags there any piece of wood that comes across on the way, so the knowledge that he really may need is pushed out of there or turns out to be cluttered with so many unnecessary things that it is simply impossible to get it if necessary. Homo sapiens are very selective about what they place in their intellectual attic. He will not fill it with anything but the tools needed to do his job, but he has an extremely rich assortment of them, and he keeps them in perfect order. It is a mistake to believe that this small room has elastic walls and can stretch to any size. Therefore, the moment inevitably comes when, in order to add any new knowledge, one has to throw out of the head some of the previously acquired knowledge.

No person will exploit their brain to deal with seemingly insignificant problems unless they have a very good reason to do so.

Habit easier to acquire than to get rid of it.

You are watching but not watching, and it's a big difference.

I said that he was sensitive to the praise of his art as any girl to praise her beauty.

You know, the magician to explain a single focus, and in the eyes of the audience immediately pales halo of his glory; and if I tell you the method of their work, perhaps you will come to the conclusion that I am the most ordinary mediocrity!

- If this man was murdered, in what way?
- The poison, got, Sherlock Holmes, and walked to the door. - Yes, one more thing, Lestrade, he added, turning round. - "Rache" - German for "revenge", so don't waste your time in search of miss Rachel.
With which Parthian shot he departed, and both players looked after him, open-mouthed.

I'm lazy, what the light is not seen, that is, of course, when I was attacked by laziness, but in fact can be and prompt.

I have already said that Holmes played the violin. However, there was something strange, as in all his classes. I knew he could play violin pieces, and quite difficult: not once at my request he played "Song" of Mendelssohn and others of my favorite things. But when he was alone, it was rare to hear or play anything like a melody. In the evenings with his violin on his knees, he leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes and carelessly drove a bow across the strings. Sometimes sonorous and melancholy chords. Another time I could hear the sound which could be heard the frantic fun. Obviously, they matched his mood, but if the sound gave rise to this mood, whether they were the product of some bizarre thoughts or just a whim I could not understand.

In our case we cannot miss any opportunity, however small.
- To a great mind there are no trifles.

Remember what Darwin says about music? He claims that mankind has learned to create music and enjoy it much earlier than acquired the ability to speak. Maybe that is why we so deeply care about music. Our souls preserved a vague memory of those misty centuries when the world was in its childhood.
(Remember what Darwin says about music? He argues that the ability to create it and enjoy it appeared in people long before they gained the gift of speech. Perhaps that is why it so deeply concerns us. Our souls are still kept vague memories of those misty centuries when the world was still very young.)