Because we have for millenia made moral, aesthetic, religious demands on the world, looked upon it with blind desire, passion or fear, and abandoned ourselves to the bad habits of illogical thinking, this world has gradually become so marvelously variegated, frightful, meaningful, soulful, it has acquired color - but we have been the colorists: it is the human intellect that has made appearances appear and transported its erroneous basic conceptions into things.

Summary

This quote suggests that the world has become complex and rich in meaning due to our human desires, emotions, and irrational thinking. Over time, we have imposed moral, aesthetic, and religious expectations on the world, which has resulted in its diverse and often frightening nature. The quote implies that our perception of the world is influenced by our own intellect, and our flawed understanding of reality has led us to assign meaning and attributes to things that are not inherently present.

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