seriously though in the depths of Sherlock’s own mind Jim Moriarty has to be bound and collared in a padded room for safety’s sake what does that say about how terrifying Sherlock actually finds him
i have a theory that moriarty in that room symbolizes the part of sherlock that he keeps hidden and locked away for fear of letting in a darker part of himself take control. we know that sherlock has the capability to become like moriarty, a master criminal. it’s a struggle for sherlock to keep that part of himself locked up. i think that sherlock does find moriarty terrifying, which also means that sherlock is at least partly terrified of himself and what he has the capability to do.