Holmes is a Mess Part 2

The Family Social Scientist informs me in the comments to the last Holmes post that Doyle's Holmes really is much like Downey's Holmes. I stand corrected. That is what I get for going off of memory.

I was reflecting on the Magistra's comment that Holmes can make plans and follow through on them, they are just ill-considered. Holmes and Watson make a good team because Watson is reliable and saves Holmes when he needs rescuing. Holmes on the other hand, is highly creative and doesn't actually need a plan.

I know from personal experience that this is one of the benefits of having low conscientiousness is that you do not feel concerned when there is not a plan for moving forward. Actually, it doesn't make a whole lot of difference to me whether there is a plan or not, because I am likely to ignore it if there is one.

Don't get me wrong, I think in the grand scheme of things a good plan is very important. I'm likely to complain loudly about businesses that are run poorly or coworkers who have failed to take into account perfectly foreseeable consequences. Success in life and work depends crucially on thinking ahead. This is why conscientiousness is a good predictor of success in life.

Where my [and Holmes] qualities come into play is when the Stuff Hits the Fan [SHTF], and the carefully prepared plan is now worthless. If you have low conscientiousness, this is no different than normal, so you can proceed apace.