"Don't make people into heroes, John. Heroes don't exist and if they did, I wouldn't be one of them."
- Sherlock Holmes to John Watson in Episode 3, Season 1 of the 'Sherlock' BBC series.
I have talked about how great the series is in this post (OMG - has it really been an year?)- I don't want to do that here. This weekend I watched season 1 again with Kumar and I was struck by this dialogue - as I am every time I watch this episode. Benedict Cumberbatch (SH) says this when Martin Freeman (JW) is shocked and cannot accept the fact that Sherlock - the guy JW is so impressed with, who has built up so much in his estimation that he is almost a hero, does not have the basic human feeling of compassion for lives. He cannot bear his idol having a thought which would mean coming down from his high pedestal by normal society's standards. Watson is trying to force Sherlock to acknowledge to some kind of human emotion so that he can continue keeping SH on the pedestal. But Sherlock does not give in, he is not afraid to be REALLY himself and not afraid to show himself for the unfeeling person he is.
A lesson learnt - not to give in to expectations. Why do we always associate a negative connotation to the whole concept of expectations? esp as Indians? I have always been resentful of the way our society makes us live according to others' expectations. But is it really always negative? I can think of a bunch of instances where I did a really good thing because I knew it was expected of me - and not because I really wanted to do it. It made me a better person. And most of all, my expectations from myself have helped me deal with situations. I do not expect myself to fail in most circumstances and it is that thought which has helped me deal with those circumstances.
What would happen if nothing in life was how we expected it to be? Would it be a chaos or an adventure of discovery?
- Sherlock Holmes to John Watson in Episode 3, Season 1 of the 'Sherlock' BBC series.
I have talked about how great the series is in this post (OMG - has it really been an year?)- I don't want to do that here. This weekend I watched season 1 again with Kumar and I was struck by this dialogue - as I am every time I watch this episode. Benedict Cumberbatch (SH) says this when Martin Freeman (JW) is shocked and cannot accept the fact that Sherlock - the guy JW is so impressed with, who has built up so much in his estimation that he is almost a hero, does not have the basic human feeling of compassion for lives. He cannot bear his idol having a thought which would mean coming down from his high pedestal by normal society's standards. Watson is trying to force Sherlock to acknowledge to some kind of human emotion so that he can continue keeping SH on the pedestal. But Sherlock does not give in, he is not afraid to be REALLY himself and not afraid to show himself for the unfeeling person he is.
A lesson learnt - not to give in to expectations. Why do we always associate a negative connotation to the whole concept of expectations? esp as Indians? I have always been resentful of the way our society makes us live according to others' expectations. But is it really always negative? I can think of a bunch of instances where I did a really good thing because I knew it was expected of me - and not because I really wanted to do it. It made me a better person. And most of all, my expectations from myself have helped me deal with situations. I do not expect myself to fail in most circumstances and it is that thought which has helped me deal with those circumstances.
What would happen if nothing in life was how we expected it to be? Would it be a chaos or an adventure of discovery?
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