Sherlock Holmes' 164th Birthday: 10 Unforgettable Sayings By World's Favorite Detective

Saturday marks the 164th birthday of Sherlock Holmes, the high functioning sociopath. And even now, the world-famous detective continues to baffle minds. Sherlock Holmes fanatics believe Jan. 6, 1854, was the day he was "born," on paper, of course.

Holmes has inspired a universe of portrayals in books and popular culture, and the detective's legacy can be summed up with the Museum of London's description of him: "The Man Who Never Lived and Will Never Die."

According to the published stories, which first appeared in the Strand Magazine in 1891, Holmes practiced as a consulting detective between the years 1881-1904, while he resided at 221b Baker Street with his friend and colleague Doctor John H. Watson.

Holmes has been presented to us in various avatars throughout the years. While Robert Downey Jr. portrayed Holmes in movies, Benedict Cumberbatch stole the show in the T.V. series and made us fall in love with his character. In a spin-off from the original concept, Jonny Lee Miller also played the character Sherlock in a series known as "Elementary."

And as we celebrate the birthday of this man today, here are some quotes and sayings, collected from sherlockholmesquotes.com and sherlockholmes-fan.com by the "high functioning sociopath" that will provide an insight into his mind.

"How often have I said that when you have excluded the impossible whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth." — The Sign of Four

"I am the last and highest court of appeal in detection." — The Sign of Four

"I make a point of never having any prejudices, and of following docilely where fact may lead me." —The Reigate Squires

"It is a capital mistake to theorize in advance of the facts. Insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts." — A Scandal in Bohemia

"The world is full of obvious things which nobody by any chance ever observes." — The Hound of the Baskervilles

"You may remember the old Persian saying, 'There is danger for him who taketh the tiger cub, and danger also for whoso snatches a delusion from a woman.'" — A Case of Identity

"My name is Sherlock Holmes. It is my business to know what other people don’t know." — The Blue Carbuncle

"What object is served by this circle of misery and violence and fear? It must tend to some end, or else our universe is ruled by chance, which is unthinkable." — The Cardboard Box

"Having gathered these facts, Watson, I smoked several pipes over them, trying to separate those which were crucial from others which were merely incidental." — The Crooked Man

"My mind, rebels at stagnation. Give me problems, give me work, give me the most abstruse cryptogram or the most intricate analysis, and I am in my own proper atmosphere. I can dispense then with artificial stimulants. But I abhor the dull routine of existence. I crave for mental exaltation. That is why I have chosen my own particular profession, — or rather created it, for I am the only one in the world." — The Sign of Four