Chapter Text
It’s not that John’s not stupid; he is. People are stupid, and although John Watson might be less so than most people, that’s not the point. Not entirely. The first, smaller, point is that he tries to follow the logical process that Sherlock has dedicated himself to. But the main point is that he sees the value in it, and admits it. That he is generous, and decent, and honest, and courageous enough to admire what Sherlock does, even though he could never do it himself.
No, Sherlock might not be a petty man. But he’s only just generous enough to admit to himself that he does not have John Watson’s generosity. He can not openly express his admiration for an ability he knows he does not have.
Fortunately, John Watson’s generosity is big enough to cover them both.