Sherlock: Beautiful, isn’t it?
John: I thought you didn’t care about things like that.
Sherlock: Doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate it.#basically the biggest metaphor in the entire show
this ^
The first time I saw this scene, it was another of those “goddamn this show is going to get under my skin in That Way” moments; because it’s almost delivered like Sherlock is intentionally making the observation aloud for John’s benefit.
It’s not the kind of brief thought you’d usually hear him bother to articulate. It’s out of character, and when John immediately picks up on that—Sherlock half-interrupts him with his ready rejoinder. Like he’s making a point.
It’s not a strong enough parallel to make me think he’s apologizing or correcting John’s earlier disgust with his lack of human sympathy (or his choice not to express or indulge in that sympathy)— at least, I don’t think the writers intended a parallel. But, as an au-loving fic-writer, I can’t help reading it as an attempt to explain something fundamental to Sherlock’s humanity; the brief, controlled admission, “I can be moved.”
No, I think that’s exactly what he’s saying there. Think about what you’d be thinking and trying to say with those words if you were in the same place. Someone says, “I thought you didn’t—” and you cut them off with, “That doesn’t mean…” You’re saying, “You’re mistaken. I’m correcting your faulty impression.” You’re saying, “I knew you were going to say that and you’re wrong.”
Whether Sherlock opens the exchange with this intention or not, he does see it coming and he uses it to make a point. He can be moved. He appreciates beauty. His intellect contains more than logic.
As far as deliberately making that observation to John, it’s important that Sherlock even says any of this to him at all. How many other people does Sherlock even make an effort to accurately represent himself to? He doesn’t care what other people think unless it gets in his way. In some cases he deliberately distorts their opinions of him if it will get him what he wants. Except for John. Sherlock wants John to understand him.