The soul paints itself in our machines.

Taken as an aphorism, the line suggests that human inner life—values, habits of mind, and moral character—inevitably expresses itself through the tools we build. “Machines” here can be read broadly as human-made systems and instruments: they are not neutral, but bear the imprint of their makers’ intentions and limitations. The phrase “paints itself” implies an unselfconscious self-portrait: even when we aim for pure utility, our creations reveal what we admire, fear, or prioritize. In modern terms, it anticipates the idea that technology embodies culture and psychology, and that artifacts can be read as evidence of the human spirit that produced them.