UCD/KWR Celebrity: Dr. House and Sherlock Holmes
Fictional characters also can have MDNA Profiles. Typically every great character is based upon somebody in real life, except the persona and core traits are amplified. This makes learning the principles of their MDNA Profile much easier and a valuable exercise. Not to mention it can be fun and entertaining.
Dr. Gregory House / Sherlock Holmes
UCD (Unyielding Conviction & Design) / KWR (Knowledgeable Wisdom & Responsibility)
Gregory House, M.D. — typically referred to simply as House — is the title character of the American medical drama House. Portrayed by British actor Hugh Laurie, in the television series, House leads a team of diagnosticians as the Head of Diagnostic Medicine at a teaching hospital. House’s character has been described as a misanthrope, cynic, narcissist, and curmudgeon.
Sherlock Holmes is a fictional detective created by Scottish author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. A London-based “consulting detective” whose abilities border on the fantastic, Holmes is famous for his astute logical reasoning, his ability to adopt almost any disguise, and his use of forensic science skills to solve difficult cases. In 2009, Sherlock Holmes was portrayed by Robert Downy Jr. in the movie Sherlock Holmes directed by Guy Ritchie.
We have combined both House and Holmes for this MDNA celebrity profile because in essence, they are the same character. In fact, House creator David Shore was a fan of Sherlock Holmes and the name House is a play on the name “Holmes” via its phonetic similarity to the word “homes.”
Being fans of both the television show House and the movie Sherlock, we have profiled both House and Holmes as UCD/KWR. Each character represents a fascinating study on both the potential strengths and weaknesses of their MDNA Profiles.
It’s easy to mistake both with KWR as primary MDNA Profiles based upon their personalities portrayed by the talents of Hugh Laurie and Robert Downey Jr. Both are highly analytical, precise and have an absolute obsession for being right. They both use information to manipulate and gain power. They also each possess the trait of selective responsibility that is common to the KWR profile. The trap of selective responsibility comes from believing that being accomplished in one area, such as career or academic achievement, gives one the right to be irresponsible in other areas, such as family relationships or personal habits. For the sake of entertainment, both House and Holmes take this to whole new, and very dysfunctional levels. One example of this is their habitual drug use.
However, upon closer examination, one can clearly see that each character’s strengths align with the UCD making it their primary profiles. KWR is therefore the secondary profile “personality,” representing how they deliver the UCD “promise.”
The first clear sign of the UCD is both characters have the ability to solve problems and find hidden solutions amidst chaos. For House, it’s solving medical cases when traditional medical approaches fail. For Holmes, it’s solving mysteries when every lead seems like a dead end. The UCD is known for the ability to go from nothing to something—from darkness to light. This is what House and Holmes are famous for.
The next sign of the UCD is how both House and Holmes will break relationships over ideologies and personal convictions. Both characters have no problems resorting to unorthodox methods to solve a case—even at the emotional expense of the people around them. House was always at odds with his team and superiors. Holmes drove Dr. Watson to the brink of abandoning him. Both are blunt, cranky and opinionated about everything—especially in pointing out the ulterior motivations and character liabilities of anyone. These are all very common traits of how the UCD profile can drive everybody nuts, and then away.
Even though the UCD/KWR characterization is highly exaggerated in both characters, studying them can help us understand how to understand those in the real world with the same MDNA. When locked in on solving a problem, the UCD’s capacity to simply ignore relationships, and the KWR’s selective responsibility, can be quite challenging. But sometimes it’s simply the price we must pay for the solution everybody needs. Be patient. The results are always worth it.