Sherlock is a Bottom, Pt. 1
I’ve seen lots of fanart (and some fanfiction–hey, cut me some slack, I’ve only been in this fandom for three months) that assumes Sherlock is a top. I understand why people would naturally assume that–Sherlock’s demeanor paints him as a headstrong person who does what he wants, and takes what he wants.
But this is fallacy. Sherlock is more like a bottom.
This post is going to touch on some features of alpha personalities, as well as that of the sexually dominant. Keep in mind that as Sherlock and John aren’t actually in a D/s relationship, some of the fine details won’t match–and that’s fine. I’m not saying Sherlock is a full-on sub, so it makes sense that not all of the behavior will apply.
For starters, let’s look at some general characteristics of alpha personalities. Alphas are confident, self-assured, accepting of themselves, and calm. They know what they want and how to get it. They believe in themselves, and naturally expect others to, as well. As such, they generally don’t need to prove themselves to others (or even themselves), so while they may try to explain their point of view, they won’t justify it.
Dominants–true dominants, that is–are calm, level-headed, stable, and most of all, caretakers. That’s right–a true dom will endeavor to take care of their sub, be it physically, emotionally or financially. This support is necessary to safeguard the sub and allow them to grow. A dom must be trustworthy, and should demonstrate that at all times.
As awesome as Sherlock is, none of that is him.
Sherlock is not confident. He is one of the most conflicted and insecure characters I’ve had the pleaseure of watching. He’s always trying to prove to himself and others how smart he is. His personality, at all times, just screams, “Acknowledge me! Validate me! Love me!”
Which brings me to my next point–Sherlock cannot accept himself. He can’t deal with the fact that he’s so emotional, and takes great pains to cover up what he considers weakness. He can’t accept that he has needs and desires like everyone else. Alphas and doms, though there may be aspects of their personality they don’t like, will generally accept and pursue their desires. Sherlock does neither.
Sherlock is not stable. He is an extremely emotional man, who turns to drugs and other distractions *cough John cough* whenever he’s forced to spend too much time in his own head. He’s completely unconcerned with corporeal matters. He skips meals, shirks sleep, and doesn’t even seem to worry too much about money matters. This last point is brought home to us in ASiP, when Donovan reveals that Sherlock doesn’t even get paid for his work, and in TBB, when he jets off, not even bothering to collect the check from Sebastian. (Seriously, who does that?)
Sherlock is not a caretaker. Make no mistake, he cares very deeply for John, and tries to protect him whenever he’s in trouble, but he never regularly inquires after his health, or his state of mind. He doesn’t gives John the type of advice John often offers to Sherlock (as seen in TRF, when John warns him that his fame is getting out of hand, and to be careful). He never makes sure John eats, or sleeps, or doesn’t OD in a fit of depression after someone he supposedly cares for supposedly dies.
So that clears up the idea of Sherlock as a dominant person. Stay tuned for an analysis of his bottom tendencies.
For a a more detailed psychological analysis on the personality traits of BDSM practitioners, please see the following article: https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/unique-everybody-else/201502/personality-traits-bdsm-practitioners-another-look
