7 Ways Thinking like a Detective Will Make You Smarter

Sarah Linden is the least self-aware television detective.

Her dedication to her work and stubbornness are unbeatable. She never gives up. Even though she fails in many aspects of her life — like being a mother. But, she keeps showing up and trying to do better. She tries again, fails again, and fails better.

Detective Humphrey Goodman is very clumsy. He often forgets things and usually finds himself with nothing to take notes on.

Humphrey has a knack at being able to solve murders by making sense out of small details

An obsession with small details helps trigger an Aha! moment. Connecting what seems unrelated. But, when all the pieces fall into place, the solution ends makes sense.

By being authentic, Clarice disarmed Dr. Hannibal Lecter’s intellectual superiority. Instead of trying to compete with him, her vulnerability made Hannibal more cooperative.

Being vulnerable reflects the best on you and others. You don’t need to outsmart others to find a great solution. Vulnerability is not a weakness, but a superpower — what we reflect comes back to us.

Father Brown’s methods tend to be more intuitive rather than deductive. The Catholic priest is a detective in disguise.  He overplays appearing clumsy, and naive. Brown uses empathy to get inside the criminal mind. He can see what others can’t — that’s how he solve crimes.

Brown reminds us that you don’t need a formal title or expertise to be good at solving problems. His life as a priest turned him into an intuitive human behavior expert.

Sherlock had Watson. Linden has Holder. Ellie Miller is Alec Hardy perfect sidekick. She counterbalances his rational and relentless spirit.

A great duo is where both parts can complement and balance each other. We all need a partner in crime to help us see what we miss. Our sidekick is an accountability partner — it increases our chances of success.

Finding the solution is not enough — you want to eliminate the problem.

As P. D. James said: ‘What the detective story is about is not murder but the restoration of order.”