Meta Rec: Sherlock’s Disguise: On Believing in a High-functioning Sociopath as a Higher Power

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Title: Sherlock’s Disguise: On Believing in a High-functioning Sociopath as a Higher Power
Author: stephisanerd
Pairing: Gen
Length: 2,485
Rating: G
Warnings: none
Verse: Sherlock BBC

Author's summary: IRENE: D’you know the big problem with a disguise, Mr. Holmes? However hard you try, it’s always a self-portrait.
SHERLOCK: You think I’m a vicar with a bleeding face?
IRENE: No, I think you’re damaged, delusional and believe in a higher power. In your case, it’s yourself.

Irene, here, is seemingly talking about Sherlock’s obvious disguise—he’s dressed as a vicar. She’s talking about that, but she’s also talking about another disguise that Sherlock uses—one that he never acknowledges is a disguise.

SHERLOCK: I’m not a psychopath, Anderson. I’m a high-functioning sociopath. Do your research.

Reccer's comments: One of the things I admire about this meta, beyond the insights into Sherlock's character, is that both Sherlock and John here come off as complex and flawed. If Sherlock so assiduously hides his humanity, we cannot blame John for not fully accepting its existence. If John hides from those flashes of Sherlock's humanity, we cannot condemn Sherlock for thinking that John only stays for that "higher power". Both men fail to see and observe what is in front of them in order to protect what they have, but those attempts at protection and preservation have failed and will need to razed to the ground before they can make progress as partners. When you understand this, it is easier to retain compassion for both characters, even when you are intensely frustrated with them.