Logical reasoning may be a most convenient means of mental communication for covering short distances, but the curvature of the earth, alas, is reflected even in logic: an ideally rational progression of thought will finally bring you back to the point of departure where you return aware of the simplicity of genius, with a delightful sensation that you have embraced truth, while actually you have merely embraced your own self... anything you might term a deduction already exposes the flaw: logical development inexorably becomes an envelopment.
This passage discusses the limitations of logical reasoning, comparing it to the curvature of the earth. It suggests that while logical thought may facilitate communication over short distances, it ultimately leads back to the original starting point when one seeks deeper truths. This return creates a false sense of discovery, where individuals believe they have grasped profound truths but are merely reconfirming their own assumptions.
Nabokov points out that what one may consider logical deductions are often flawed, as logical reasoning can confine and envelop one’s thinking rather than expand it. Thus, instead of uncovering new insights, the journey through logic may simply reinforce existing beliefs, illustrating the paradox of rational thought.
