BBC Sherlock Fan Forum - Serving Sherlockians since February 2012 / Is Sherlock a liar?

**Posted by Naavy** January 12, 2017 1:20 pm

[Sherlock] - Why would I be faking?
[John] - Because you're a liar! You lie all the time, it's like your mission!
[Sherlock] - I have been many things, John, but when have I ever been a malingerer?!
[John] - You pretended to be dead for two years!
[Sherlock] - Apart from that!
[John] changes subject
- from TLD

Last days Sherlock was called a liar many times, but is he really?
He is manipulative, deliberately misleads people, using his clothing, posture, or behavior. He can suggest something, using implicit statements, or simply not mentioning some points. But he uses this tricks mostly to solve murders. When he's got the necessary information, (or effect, like John's forgiveness in TEH), he lets his interlocutors to know the truth. His lies are sometimes irritating, but used mostly to get the answers faster, and harmful only to the criminals.
Does it really count?

**Posted by ewige** January 12, 2017 1:30 pm

People lie when they are afraid of consequences.
Sherlock bends truths to achieve his ends. He's not doing that nearly often enough to be qualified as a liar in my opinion, tho.
Maybe John means "liar" more in the sense of "manipulative bastard".

**Posted by Preceja** January 12, 2017 1:34 pm

I think in this scene TLD John is mainly driven by his grief and loss of Mary . Sherlock promised to protect her and failed. John feels it as one big lie at that time and does not want to trust Sherlock in anything not to be harmed more. He needs time to get over it.

Sherlock lies whenever he thinks it is easier or less work, so he is a liar. He lies even to his close friends (or better does not exclude them from the lies) . He dos not want to harm, just is ignorant to the feelings and need of other people. For us as the audience it is funny, not always for the participants which is annoying even if it should be for their good.

But is is how the character was written, something typical for him and we love him as he is

**Posted by Preceja** January 12, 2017 1:37 pm

ewige wrote:
People lie when they are afraid of consequences.
Sherlock bends truths to achieve his ends. He's not doing that nearly often enough to be qualified as a liar in my opinion, tho.

I do not agree - people lie to achieve what they want , too. If lie means the oposite of truth, it can be used in many ways and still it is a lie.

**Posted by ewige** January 12, 2017 1:39 pm

Preceja wrote:
Sherlock lies whenever he thinks it is easier or less work, so he is a liar.

When does he do that exactly?
Sometimes he deceives people to gain access to information (playing priest with Irene, proposing to Janine, letting fake Faith confirm his suspicions about her scars...) but I don't think that makes him a liar.

**Posted by ewige** January 12, 2017 1:43 pm

Alright, based on the definition in M-W he is a liar, because a liar tells lies and a lie is:

1 a : an assertion of something known or believed by the speaker to be untrue with intent to deceive
b : an untrue or inaccurate statement that may or may not be believed true by the speaker

2 : something that misleads or deceives

I'm not sure anymore why I wouldn't classify Sherlock as a liar, still. Maybe because I was taught that only cowards need to tell lies to protect their hide. Sherlock certainly doesn't do that.

Last edited by ewige (January 12, 2017 1:45 pm)