Bonda

bonda

Humans! One interesting twinkle in the dark, vacuous expanse of the cosmos. Trapped on a floating ball of rock to mope into space and be tormented by relentless, conflicting emotions. Prison within and prison without. Awaiting the summon of death. What the hell is this existence and what is its use? At least we have each other. Right? Yes, we do. Plus, the resources of the earth. And most importantly, there's that small voice that keeps telling us to become more. So, we stagger on. Nothing is certain in this great maze of existence but we don't just give in. We grope for purpose in the confusing unknown. We do what we do in search of fulfillment. Thus, we solve problems for those we love. We really dig in and harvest ingenious creations from within us. It makes us happy, so we keep going. We keep chasing that which our heart yearns for. What is it many have asked? What is it that we really want? Some of the smartest among us have given a name to it, and I dare agree with them. It is what it is; Freedom! Freedom from wants, death, and ourselves. Freedom from whatever dares limit us. Freedom from this great bondage that is us. Hence, in our relentless yearning, we build this great bridge of science. Into matter, into space, into life. Into technology! Oh that we may find that which we seek. Oh that we may find; Autonomy! Autonomy Has Always Driven Technology Humans have always been bound by limitations that we constantly rebel against. Imagine the caveman days. Small, slow, and weak as we were, we were completely bound by the harsh laws of the jungle. Dominated by powerful creatures. Yet, our big brain brought us to the very top of the food chain. Inventions like the spear, knife, and arrow with advanced hunting strategies helped us overcome the powerful beasts that ruled the wild. Then, we created our own societies and were ruled by tribal laws. Not very different jungle laws though but strong humans were in charge now. Then came the reign of religion, and priests were in charge. Then came countries with cunning politicians. Then came capitalism with wealthy businessmen who are now running the show. All these changes have been driven by advancements as humans try to take more control of their lives. From being ruled by wild beasts to strong men to priests to politicians and businessmen, people have always invented systems that gave them more control of their lives. And this progress is not only evident in the technology of our leadership but also in the everyday devices that we use. First, we had caves and stone tools, then came villages and metal tools, and then came towns and analog machines. Now, we have cities and digital technology. This drive for autonomy in our technology has culminated in what we call a decentralized internet or web3. Autonomy in Web3 Web 3 remains a relatively recent technology that is yet to be widely understood. Yet, it is already being widely adopted as the advantages are very obvious. Simply put, web3 aims to put the Internet and financial system under the control of everyone and not just a few giant corporations. Why is this necessary you may ask? Well, the answer is simple: "Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely!" The internet and financial systems represent the most critical technologies that humans have been able to develop. Hence, there is a great power in the hands of anyone who controls them. It's no wonder that top government officials and tech billionaires dominate the list of most powerful people in the world. This great power which allows such people to exercise control around the world is akin to the legendary absolute power that absolutely corrupts the wielders. And we have already seen this corruption at play. For example; , , , etc. Facebook has recorded multiple user data breaches Twitter has been accused many times of stifling free speech US politicians were caught cheating through insider trading in the stock market Hence, the internet and financial market which have lasting effects on people’s lives need some level of democracy. This is what web3 promises. Cryptocurrencies were introduced as a means for people to transact directly without passing through middlemen in the banking institutions who often benefit fraudulently from people’s money with little or no punishment. Combining crypto with blockchain technology provides the world with a global decentralized financial internet that no one fully controls and everyone can benefit from. Is Autonomy Truly Possible? Many reservations have been raised about the practicality of web3 and whether it can be truly autonomous. For example; fundamental blockchain infrastructures are often hosted on web2 servers with centralized control. Also, mining cryptocurrency is energy intensive which makes the entire system dependent on power companies. Would the power companies and server owners not be the new bosses in town? Well, that's a critical problem that is yet to be solved. However, blockchain technology is slowly solving the centralized server problem through compressed distributed storage of the technology on the devices of its users. Basically, a blockchain is a database, and every device that connects to the blockchain has a version of the database stored on it. This makes it possible for the billions of devices that users use to connect to the blockchain to function as servers distributed around the world instead of just one central server. Fingers crossed for what will come in the future. About the electricity problem, well, most cryptocurrencies have a limited amount of tokens to be mined, hence, mining is not a forever thing. Also, alternative versions of power like solar make it possible for miners to set up affordable sources of personalized power. Hence, centralized power companies can possibly be bypassed. With these considerations, the autonomy that web3 promises can foreseeably be accomplished. Future of Autonomy Picture this... You fall asleep now and awaken in the autonomous age. Robots run the world now. The planet is one big country run by the United Nations and headquartered in Earth City (a giant circular artificial island built in the Atlantic Ocean on longitude 0 degrees and latitude 0 degrees). Networks of underwater hyperloop lines and speed train bridges interconnect all the continents in minutes and the former countries are nothing but political provinces for proper documentation and security. Autonomous vehicles with little or no accidents dominate the roads and autonomous spaceships transverse space to transport people and resources around the solar system. Humans have finally colonized the solar system. The world lives in abundance as automated high-tech farms meet all our agricultural needs. Basic amenities like water, electricity, and education are free, and everyone gets a living wage to cover secondary needs like real estate around the planets, internet access, and transportation. Advanced amenities like technology, art, entertainment, exploration, and financial trading are where businesses operate. Web3 is fully operational. Hologram devices are all over the place for people to experience the dinterverse (decentralized internet metaverse) which uses all those devices as servers. DAOs, running on open-source technology, are the global means of voting, with Auth ID being the prominent open-source platform for decentralized technology. Industry-based crypto coins are the means of exchange (e.g., techon for technology, agrocoin for agriculture, muse for music, etc.) and cryptex trading (forex trading of the time) is the primary means of employment for everyone with people speculating on which industry will do better based on the season. Bitcoin is, however, immortalized as the only currency accepted around the world across all industries. Global poverty has been eradicated and financial inequality is very low around the world with cryptex trading available to everyone. A decentralized financial system was the game changer as it led to an explosion of prosperity through relatively easy cryptex trading. You investigate your trade on your holophone. You're doing very well and will be making another $50,000 this week. You smile to yourself as you glance out the window of your noiseless starjet (silent speed jets that ferry people around the world in minutes). The city below is a great wonder as people said. You're on vacation in Earth City. It's your first time. You came for it. The statue of autonomy or "the human spirit" as it is fondly called. Many weep upon first beholding its glory. The symbol of human victory on the earth. It appears on the horizon. The shiny bust of a crowned androgynous human child stops at the waist so it's neither male nor female. Completely transparent as if entirely made of glass, hence, the name human spirit. With both hands upraised in freedom, it holds Bitcoin (the first global crypto) in the right hand and a scroll in the left. Your ship does the ceremonial circling of the statue. Then it passes the scroll and you behold those legendary words. You read it in a low voice. "We humans hold that all of us are born free. Free to live, free to love, free to prosper!" A smile crawls up your face, and you resolve to uphold this great motto. Then you hear a phone ring. A familiar ancient music. It gets louder and louder. It's your phone. You were dreaming of course. You curse as you pick up your phone. It's your boss calling you to return to work. You cut the call and sigh in disappointment. That dream was just beautiful. Then it occurs to you: The current world is one big nightmare! WHAT DOES THIS MEAN Web3 is upon us. Cryptocurrencies are everywhere and blockchain infrastructure gets more sophisticated every day. Many crypto millionaires roam the earth to prove the real value of the technology. Decentralization is on its way. Below are the predictions you should know about web3; Decentralization is the future. Digital commodities e.g., NFTs, in-game items, virtual real estate, and decentralized exchange (DEX) will create a new industry. Currencies will become more globalized. Companies will become smaller and more personalized. Self-service will become the new way of operating the financial industry. HOW DO I PREPARE FOR AUTONOMY Educate yourself on cryptocurrencies, blockchain technology, and the metaverse. Invest in promising crypto coins. Participate in public web3 forums. Fund web 3 projects if you can. Learn how to make money on your own from the internet.

Behold: The Autonomy We Always Sought

দেখুন: যে স্বায়ত্তশাসন আমরা সবসময় চেয়েছি

Siehe: Die Autonomie, die wir immer gesucht haben

He aquí: la autonomía que siempre buscamos

Voici : l’autonomie que nous avons toujours recherchée

देखिए: वह स्वायत्तता जो हम हमेशा से चाहते थे

見よ、私たちが常に求めていた自律性

보라: 우리가 항상 추구했던 자율성

Eis: a autonomia que sempre buscamos

Вот: автономия, к которой мы всегда стремились

Bakın: Her Zaman Aradığımız Özerklik

Kìa: Quyền tự chủ mà chúng tôi luôn tìm kiếm

看哪：我们一直寻求的自主权

220 Stories To Learn About Ux Design

221 Stories To Learn About User Experience

113 Stories To Learn About Ui Design

182 Stories To Learn About Product Design

Account Abstraction is not just another chat topic. It will allow blockchain and crypto to go from geek love to mass use by traditional businesses. How will it be, and how will companies provide exciting brand experiences with Account Abstraction? Let’s figure it out together in this article! My name is . I'm a Blockchain Product Marketing and Branding Expert. I build awareness and trust in blockchain products among users, developers, and VC funds. Daria Volkova I’m interested in the Ethereum ecosystem and researching it deeply because now, it’s the most promising blockchain for building products that can bring mass blockchain adoption. Vitalik Buterin shares his crypto user experience. Why is this important, and how is it related to Account Abstraction? There is a where he shares his experience using crypto as a payment method at coffee shops and restaurants. He mentioned that he faced different kinds of challenges, including poor Internet connection, Ethereum gas limits, minimum exchange deposit, and others. blog post on Vitalik Buterin’s website Vitalik had to seek the Internet or overpay several times the order cost to pay with cryptocurrency. Most people who are not so interested in paying with cryptocurrency and are not ready to spend extra time on experiments will conclude that paying with cryptocurrency for ordinary things is very inconvenient. That’s why he concluded his text with a phrase I like so much: Good user experience is not about the average case; it is about the worst case. Such unfortunate situations could be overcome if merchants have payment providers with Account Abstraction. A Short Description of Account Abstraction Account Abstraction is a blockchain and cryptocurrency technology concept that makes blockchain accounts more flexible and programmable. In the context of the Ethereum wallet, , which now occur as one continuous process. Accordingly, smart wallets allow you to configure each process flexibly, which opens up more opportunities for optimizing the user experience. "abstraction" means separating the verification and execution of transactions Account Abstraction refers to Currently, the wallet and the user are essentially one whole because only the owner of the seed phrase or private key can send assets, and only the owner of the public address can receive assets. separating an account and its owner. Account Abstraction will allow you to run a smart contract as a wallet, controlled by code in the EVM and not by a bunch of public and private keys. This expands the supported authentication methods and security features of the wallet. The main goal of the account abstraction and the EIP-4337 update is to replace EOA wallets with smart wallets (CA). This will provide developers with more opportunities to create high-quality user experiences. Business Necessity of Account Abstraction To explain the business necessity of AA, I should describe what kind of features smart wallets have: Verification logic allows flexible configuration of user authentication options. These can be used with a trusted email, a biometric authenticator, or a whitelisted device. Various authentication options. With Account Abstraction, you can pay a fee in any token you want; you can even mint NFT from the brand you love without paying any fee because the brand will pay for you. It's possible because of - one of the key components in Account Abstraction. Flexible fee payment mechanisms. Paymaster Visa deployed two sets of Paymaster contracts to demonstrate how gas fees on the blockchain can be redesigned for enhanced user convenience. Read more here. , A user no longer needs to use ETH to interact with dApps which reduces the entry barrier for beginners. Additional security settings may include, in addition to the authentication method, multi-signatures, a daily spending limit or time lags for transactions. This will help even if an attacker has accessed the account. Advanced account security settings. protect the user's funds You can forget the numerous signatures needed to conduct the first swap on a DEX, purchase an NFT, or otherwise interact with dApps. Atomic multi-operations. The new type of wallets will be more similar in functionality to accounts than MetaMask and Ledger. Google or Apple ID you can allow your customers to mint NFTs, make transactions, save data, track progress, and use other benefits from the blockchain and As a founder of a Web3 startup or a traditional business, pay fees instead of them. Also, instead of forcing customers to remember the seed phrase, you can allow them to enter a blockchain account using email only. In September 2023, the successful conclusion of the ERC-4337 Account Abstraction grant round. This grant initiative will support 18 teams in their efforts to build diverse projects centered around the ERC-4337 standard. The Ethereum Foundation announced Such massive investment in AA-supporting projects shows that the concept is promising and will be explored and implemented as much as possible. Among those who received funding, the following cases are worth noting: is a smart contract account compatible with the above standard. The core is modular, which allows you to connect additional plugins. ZeroDev Kernel - the service allows you to register and authenticate using your email and DKIM password. The solution is designed to lower the entry barrier and attract more users to the ecosystem. Ambire is an easy-to-use, non-custodial smart wallet powered by Account Abstraction and the Hardware Elements (e.g., Secure Enclave, Android Trustzone, etc.), offering a unique onboarding process. The Clave team is the winner of the ETHGlobal Hackathon 2023. Clave is the partner of zkSync. Clave - Zero Knowledge Proof (ZKP) based wallet. The wallet uses zkSNARK to confirm account access. IoTeX is an authentication module for protocols with OpenID. When combined with ERC-4337, this solution facilitates one-click OAuth login and account creation for new users using social logins such as Google and Apple. UniPass By addressing the impact of ERC-4337 on on-chain data analysis and exploring the native account abstraction mechanism in other Layer2 and EVM chains, this project can provide valuable insights and resources for data analysts working in the Ethereum ecosystem. . SixdegreeLab The Ethereum Foundation team believes that This ambitious goal is achievable if many traditional businesses implement this standard. ERC-4337 can attract the next 1 billion users. In the following part of this article, I will uncover how companies can use Account Abstraction to seamlessly onboard users to Web3 if blockchain is relevant to their business models. Account Abstraction Use Cases for Businesses In this section, I describe four user cases where AA creates additional value for the company's brand. Case №1. Future of Loyalty Brand loyalty is essential for any successful brand today to survive and continue to thrive. Loyalty programs are used by all types of businesses - from coffee shops to hospitals. This picture shows how loyalty programs become more personalized and scalable, bringing more value to the business customer. One of the trends of the last two years has been the use of NFTs as collectibles that provide access to unique experiences. NFTs allowed brands to supercharge membership and loyalty programs. With NFTs, customers can own their membership and loyalty status, meaning the more they interact with a brand, the more perks and benefits they accumulate over time, making their NFT more valuable. There are three main ways how NFTs can be used in loyalty programs: These tokens enable users who are eligible to receive cashback from the brands for various offers or offers to reward loyalty in the form of NFTs or tradeable cryptocurrencies. Utility Tokens. Customers can be rewarded with membership tokens that are Soul-bound in nature. A user's loyalty and interactions with the brand can be cited using an NFT-based loyalty system where a user's actions are recorded and reflected via these dynamic Soul-bound NFTs. Soul Bound Membership Tokens. These are a collection of NFTs representing a history of the user's interactions with the brand. They include POAPs, loyalty points, badges, and collectibles collected from the brand. By the way, do you collect POAPs? I have four items in my collection. Reputation Tokens. No matter what type of tokens you use for your loyalty program, . Any customer can join your loyalty program, even without a wallet and technical knowledge. Pay fees and reward your customers using the blockchain that works best for you. AA will help you simplify the flow for the user Digital and Physical Worlds Case №2. Connection Between Bridging the digital and physical gap is key to Web3’s mass adoption. By utilizing blockchain technology to build immersive, interactive experiences, brands can bring the power of Web3 to a billion users in a way that is easy to onboard, fun, and accessible. In September 2023, Web3 brand released its Pudgy Toys at 2,000+ stores across the U.S., connecting technology and the broader Web3 community with America’s largest retailer. Pudgy Penguins Walmart zkSync Pudgy Penguins offer two ways to play — physical and digital. Both the plush and figures come with a digital adoption certificate that kids can redeem on , the open-world digital social experience. Through the digital adoption certificate, kids can unlock their digital Penguin, which they can use to play games and interact with other kids in Pudgy World. Pudgy Penguins pudgeworld.com To get it and activate it, the user must scan a QR code and, with the help of Account Abstraction, unlock their Forever Pudgy Penguin without needing a digital wallet or having ETH on it. were chosen as Pudgy World’s foundational technology to enable an immersive user experience, lightning-fast speeds, and affordability. zkSync and Ethereum Web3’s mass adoption becomes closer through fun and easy access. You can read more about this case here. Case №3. Onboarding Gamers to the Blockchain According to , approximately people worldwide play video games. 89.5% of video game sales happen in By 2025, the mobile games industry will reach True List 3.26 billion the digital world. 138 billion US dollars. This means that gamers are a huge number of users who can potentially become users of blockchain-based products if these products can improve their gaming experience. Some gamers are already users of the products or platforms. Others, on the contrary, not trusting them or are too young to assess risks and make decisions. They only want to play and get achievements. GameFi Play2Earn ignore blockchain and crypto products, What if the game allows users to keep their game achievements and items in the blockchain in the NFT format? Authorization to the game account can unblock their smart contract wallet. Also, the game platform can pay a fee instead of the user with the help of the paymaster. So gamers will not need to create an account before starting the game. They can enjoy the process, and under the hood, there will be a blockchain that will ensure that all game achievements are saved and will be able to convert game skins to NFT. Conclusion Account Abstraction and its capabilities look promising for anyone interested in implementing mass blockchain usage. Most businesses (Nike, Gucci, Starbucks, and others) have joined Web3 by launching NFT collections or identity verification and supply chain management through platforms like Everledger. Now, companies that want to be technological pioneers have more tools to implement, thus opening up a field for experimentation. You can read more about in the article by . He shares a comprehensive guide on improving user experience as a crucial requirement for mass blockchain adoption and provides several cases divided by users’ needs. AA as a true path to mass blockchain adoption , Product Designer of zkSync Andrii Bondar I strongly advise traditional businesses to add not only AI but also blockchain to their business processes and user immersion in brand experiences. If relevant and possible, implement something that will increase interest in and loyalty to your brand. Read my previous articles about and about . Web3 Product-Market Fit and Marketing Strategy For Blockchain Startups in 2024 Personal Branding in the Age of Web3 Follow me on social media if you like my content: , , and LinkedIn X . YouTube Also published here

Blockchain Mass Adoption and Exciting Brand Experiences With  Account Abstraction: ERC-4337

287 Stories To Learn About Blockchain Development

HAMILTON K. FISKER AGAIN

112 Stories To Learn About Password Security

It was not long after the breaking out of the Greek Revolution

THE ELECTION

Mathilda by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley is part of the HackerNoon Books Series. You can jump to any chapter in this book . CHAPTER XI here CHAPTER XI It is a strange circumstance but it often occurs that blessings by their use turn to curses; and that I who in solitude had desired sympathy as the only relief I could enjoy should now find it an additional torture to me. During my father’s life time I had always been of an affectionate and forbearing disposition, but since those days of joy alas! I was much changed. I had become arrogant, peevish, and above all suspicious. Although the real interest of my narration is now ended and I ought quickly to wind up its melancholy catastrophe, yet I will relate one instance of my sad suspicion and despair and how Woodville with the goodness and almost the power of an angel, softened my rugged feelings and led me back to gentleness. He had promised to spend some hours with me one afternoon but a violent and continual rain prevented him. I was alone the whole evening. I had passed two whole years alone unrepining, but now I was miserable. He could not really care for me, I thought, for if he did the storm would rather have made him come even if I had not expected him, than, as it did, prevent a promised visit. He would well know that this drear sky and gloomy rain would load my spirit almost to madness: if the weather had been fine I should not have regretted his absence as heavily as I necessarily must shut up in this miserable cottage with no companions but my own wretched thoughts. If he were truly my friend he would have calculated all this; and let me now calculate this boasted friendship, and discover its real worth. He got over his grief for Elinor, and the country became dull to him, so he was glad to find even me for amusement; and when he does not know what else to do he passes his lazy hours here, and calls this friendship—It is true that his presence is a consolation to me, and that his words are sweet, and, when he will he can pour forth thoughts that win me from despair. His words are sweet,—and so, truly, is the honey of the bee, but the bee has a sting, and unkindness is a worse smart that that received from an insect’s venom. I will put him to the proof. He says all hope is dead to him, and I know that it is dead to me, so we are both equally fitted for death. Let me try if he will die with me; and as I fear to die alone, if he will accompany me to cheer me, and thus he can shew himself my friend in the only manner my misery will permit. It was madness I believe, but I so worked myself up to this idea that I could think of nothing else. If he dies with me it is well, and there will be an end of two miserable beings; and if he will not, then will I scoff at his friendship and drink the poison before him to shame his cowardice. I planned the whole scene with an earnest heart and franticly set my soul on this project. I procured Laudanum and placing it in two glasses on the table, filled my room with flowers and decorated the last scene of my tragedy with the nicest care. As the hour for his coming approached my heart softened and I wept; not that I gave up my plan, but even when resolved the mind must undergo several revolutions of feeling before it can drink its death. Now all was ready and Woodville came. I received him at the door of my cottage and leading him solemnly into the room, I said: “My friend, I wish to die. I am quite weary of enduring the misery which hourly I do endure, and I will throw it off. What slave will not, if he may, escape from his chains? Look, I weep: for more than two years I have never enjoyed one moment free from anguish. I have often desired to die; but I am a very coward. It is hard for one so young who was once so happy as I was; voluntarily to divest themselves of all sensation and to go alone to the dreary grave; I dare not. I must die, yet my fear chills me; I pause and shudder and then for months I endure my excess of wretchedness. But now the time is come when I may quit life, I have a friend who will not refuse to accompany me in this dark journey; such is my request: earnestly do I entreat and implore you to die with me. Then we shall find Elinor and what I have lost. Look, I am prepared; there is the death draught, let us drink it together and willingly & joyfully quit this hated round of daily life. sic “You turn from me; yet before you deny me reflect, Woodville, how sweet it were to cast off the load of tears and misery under which we now labour: and surely we shall find light after we have passed the dark valley. That drink will plunge us in a sweet slumber, and when we awaken what joy will be ours to find all our sorrows and fears past. ; aye, a very little patience; for, look, there is the key of our prison; we hold it in our own hands, and are we more debased than slaves to cast it away and give ourselves up to voluntary bondage? Even now if we had courage we might be free. Behold, my cheek is flushed with pleasure at the imagination of death; all that we love are dead. Come, give me your hand, one look of joyous sympathy and we will go together and seek them; a lulling journey; where our arrival will bring bliss and our waking be that of angels. Do you delay? Are you a coward, Woodville? Oh fie! Cast off this blank look of human melancholy. Oh! that I had words to express the luxury of death that I might win you. I tell you we are no longer miserable mortals; we are about to become Gods; spirits free and happy as gods. What fool on a bleak shore, seeing a flowery isle on the other side with his lost love beckoning to him from it would pause because the wave is dark and turbid? A little patience, and all will be over “What if some little payne the passage haveThat makes frayle flesh to fear the bitter wave?Is not short payne well borne that brings long ease,And lays the soul to sleep in quiet grave? “Do you mark my words; I have learned the language of despair: I have it all by heart, for I am Despair; and a strange being am I, joyous, triumphant Despair. But those words are false, for the wave may be dark but it is not bitter. We lie down, and close our eyes with a gentle good night, and when we wake, we are free. Come then, no more delay, thou tardy one! Behold the pleasant potion! Look, I am a spirit of good, and not a human maid that invites thee, and with winning accents, (oh, that they would win thee!) says, Come and drink.” As I spoke I fixed my eyes upon his countenance, and his exquisite beauty, the heavenly compassion that beamed from his eyes, his gentle yet earnest look of deprecation and wonder even before he spoke wrought a change in my high strained feelings taking from me all the sterness of despair and filling me only with the softest grief. I saw his eyes humid also as he took both my hands in his; and sitting down near me, he said: “This is a sad deed to which you would lead me, dearest friend, and your woe must indeed be deep that could fill you with these unhappy thoughts. You long for death and yet you fear it and wish me to be your companion. But I have less courage than you and even thus accompanied I dare not die. Listen to me, and then reflect if you ought to win me to your project, even if with the over-bearing eloquence of despair you could make black death so inviting that the fair heaven should appear darkness. Listen I entreat you to the words of one who has himself nurtured desperate thoughts, and longed with impatient desire for death, but who has at length trampled the phantom under foot, and crushed his sting. Come, as you have played Despair with me I will play the part of Una with you and bring you hurtless from his dark cavern. Listen to me, and let yourself be softened by words in which no selfish passion lingers. “We know not what all this wide world means; its strange mixture of good and evil. But we have been placed here and bid live and hope. I know not what we are to hope; but there is some good beyond us that we must seek; and that is our earthly task. If misfortune come against us we must fight with her; we must cast her aside, and still go on to find out that which it is our nature to desire. Whether this prospect of future good be the preparation for another existence I know not; or whether that it is merely that we, as workmen in God’s vineyard, must lend a hand to smooth the way for our posterity. If it indeed be that; if the efforts of the virtuous now, are to make the future inhabitants of this fair world more happy; if the labours of those who cast aside selfishness, and try to know the truth of things, are to free the men of ages, now far distant but which will one day come, from the burthen under which those who now live groan, and like you weep bitterly; if they free them but from one of what are now the necessary evils of life, truly I will not fail but will with my whole soul aid the work. From my youth I have said, I will be virtuous; I will dedicate my life for the good of others; I will do my best to extirpate evil and if the spirit who protects ill should so influence circumstances that I should suffer through my endeavour, yet while there is hope and hope there ever must be, of success, cheerfully do I gird myself to my task. “I have powers; my countrymen think well of them. Do you think I sow my seed in the barren air, & have no end in what I do? Believe me, I will never desert life untill this last hope is torn from my bosom, that in some way my labours may form a link in the chain of gold with which we ought all to strive to drag Happiness from where she sits enthroned above the clouds, now far beyond our reach, to inhabit the earth with us. Let us suppose that Socrates, or Shakespear, or Rousseau had been seized with despair and died in youth when they were as young as I am; do you think that we and all the world should not have lost incalculable improvement in our good feelings and our happiness thro’ their destruction. I am not like one of these; they influenced millions: but if I can influence but a hundred, but ten, but one solitary individual, so as in any way to lead him from ill to good, that will be a joy to repay me for all my sufferings, though they were a million times multiplied; and that hope will support me to bear them. “And those who do not work for posterity; or working, as may be my case, will not be known by it; yet they, believe me, have also their duties. You grieve because you are unhappy; it is happiness you seek but you despair of obtaining it. But if you can bestow happiness on another; if you can give one other person only one hour of joy ought you not to live to do it? And every one has it in their power to do that. The inhabitants of this world suffer so much pain. In crowded cities, among cultivated plains, or on the desart mountains, pain is thickly sown, and if we can tear up but one of these noxious weeds, or more, if in its stead we can sow one seed of corn, or plant one fair flower, let that be motive sufficient against suicide. Let us not desert our task while there is the slightest hope that we may in a future day do this. “Indeed I dare not die. I have a mother whose support and hope I am. I have a friend who loves me as his life, and in whose breast I should infix a mortal sting if I ungratefully left him. So I will not die. Nor shall you, my friend; cheer up; cease to weep, I entreat you. Are you not young, and fair, and good? Why should you despair? Or if you must for yourself, why for others? If you can never be happy, can you never bestow happiness? Oh! believe me, if you beheld on lips pale with grief one smile of joy and gratitude, and knew that you were parent of that smile, and that without you it had never been, you would feel so pure and warm a happiness that you would wish to live for ever again and again to enjoy the same pleasure. “Come, I see that you have already cast aside the sad thoughts you before franticly indulged. Look in that mirror; when I came your brow was contracted, your eyes deep sunk in your head, your lips quivering; your hands trembled violently when I took them; but now all is tranquil and soft. You are grieved and there is grief in the expression of your countenance but it is gentle and sweet. You allow me to throw away this cursed drink; you smile; oh, Congratulate me, hope is triumphant, and I have done some good.” These words are shadowy as I repeat them but they were indeed words of fire and produced a warm hope in me (I, miserable wretch, to hope!) that tingled like pleasure in my veins. He did not leave me for many hours; not until he had improved the spark that he had kindled, and with an angelic hand fostered the return of somthing that seemed like joy. He left me but I still was calm, and after I had saluted the starry sky and dewy earth with eyes of love and a contented good night, I slept sweetly, visited by dreams, the first of pleasure I had had for many long months. But this was only a momentary relief and my old habits of feeling returned; for I was doomed while in life to grieve, and to the natural sorrow of my father’s death and its most terrific cause, immagination added a tenfold weight of woe. I believed myself to be polluted by the unnatural love I had inspired, and that I was a creature cursed and set apart by nature. I thought that like another Cain, I had a mark set on my forehead to shew mankind that there was a barrier between me and they . Woodville had told me that there was in my countenance an expression as if I belonged to another world; so he had seen that sign: and there it lay a gloomy mark to tell the world that there was that within my soul that no silence could render sufficiently obscure. Why when fate drove me to become this outcast from human feeling; this monster with whom none might mingle in converse and love; why had she not from that fatal and most accursed moment, shrouded me in thick mists and placed real darkness between me and my fellows so that I might never more be seen?, [ ] and as I passed, like a murky cloud loaded with blight, they might only perceive me by the cold chill I should cast upon them; telling them, how truly, that something unholy was near? Then I should have lived upon this dreary heath unvisited, and blasting none by my unhallowed gaze. Alas! I verily believe that if the near prospect of death did not dull and soften my bitter feelings, if for a few months longer I had continued to live as I then lived, strong in body, but my soul corrupted to its core by a deadly cancer, if day after day I had dwelt on these dreadful sentiments I should have become mad, and should have fancied myself a living pestilence: so horrible to my own solitary thoughts did this form, this voice, and all this wretched self appear; for had it not been the source of guilt that wants a name? sic sic This was superstition. I did not feel thus franticly when first I knew that the holy name of father was become a curse to me: but my lonely life inspired me with wild thoughts; and then when I saw Woodville & day after day he tried to win my confidence and I never dared give words to my dark tale, I was impressed more strongly with the withering fear that I was in truth a marked creature, a pariah, only fit for death. About HackerNoon Book Series: We bring you the most important technical, scientific, and insightful public domain books. This book is part of the public domain. Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley (2005). Mathilda. Urbana, Illinois: Project Gutenberg. Retrieved https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/15238/pg15238-images.html This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at , located at . www.gutenberg.org https://www.gutenberg.org/policy/license.html

It is a strange circumstance but it often occurs that blessings by their use turn to curses

143 Stories To Learn About Career

Common Sense Applied to Religion; Or, The Bible and the People by Catharine Esther Beecher, is part of the HackerNoon Books Series. You can jump to any chapter in this book . WRONG ACTION OF MIND, AND ITS RESULTS IN THIS LIFE. here CHAPTER XXVI. WRONG ACTION OF MIND, AND ITS RESULTS IN THIS LIFE. We have examined into the causes of the wrong action of mind, and have found them to consist in the want of knowledge, want of habits, want of social influences from other minds, and want of a right governing purpose, all of which, so far as reason and experience teach, alone could be secured by perfect and infallible teachers and educators in a perfect commonwealth. We are now to inquire in regard to the wrong action of mind and its results in this life. The first point to be noticed is the fact that from the first there is in every intelligent mind to obey the laws of the system in which it is placed. a sense of entire inability This is true not merely in reference to that breach of law which is the inevitable result of ignorance, but of that also which involves a violation of conscience. Where is the mother who has not heard the distressed confession, even from the weeping infant, that he was happier in doing right than in doing wrong, that he wished to do well, and yet that he was constantly doing evil? Where is the parent that has not witnessed, as one little being after another passed on from infancy to youth, and from youth to manhood, the perpetual warfare to sustain good purposes and oft-broken resolutions? And where is the conscious spirit that can not look back on its whole course of existence as one continued exhibition of a conflict that gives unvarying evidence of this truth? Men that it is as impossible for them to be invariably in thought, word, and deed, as it is to rule the winds and waves. feel perfect The testimony of mankind through every period of the world, in regard to their own individual consciousness, attests a sense of the same fatal inability. If we go back even as far as to the heathen sages of antiquity, we gain the same acknowledgment. Thus we find Pythagoras calls it "the fatal companion, the noxious strife that lurks within us, and which was born along with us." Sopator terms it "the sin that is born with mankind." Plato denominates it "natural wickedness," and Aristotle "the natural repugnance of man's temper to reason." Cicero declares that "men are brought into life by Nature as a step-mother, with a naked, frail, and infirm body, and with a soul prone to divers lusts." Seneca observes, "We are born in such a condition that we are not subject to fewer disorders of the mind than of the body; all vices are in men, though they do not break out in every one." Propertius says that "every body has a vice to which he is inclined by nature." Juvenal asserts that "nature, unchangeably fixed, runs back to wickedness." Horace declares that "no man is free from vices, and he is the best man who is oppressed with the least." He adds that "mankind rush into wickedness, and always desire what is forbidden;" that "youth has the softness of wax to receive vicious impressions, and the hardness of rock to resist virtuous admonitions;" that "we are mad enough to attack Heaven itself, and our repeated crimes do not suffer the God of Heaven to lay aside his wrathful thunderbolts." This testimony of individual experience is verified by the general history of mankind. All the laws and institutions of society are founded on the principle that mankind are prone to wrong, infirm of purpose in all that is good, and that every possible restraint is needed to prevent the overbreaking tide of evil and crime. When we read the history of communities and of nations, it is one continued record of selfishness, avarice, injustice, revenge, and cruelty. Individuals seem equally plotting against the happiness of individuals, and rejoicing to work evils on society. Communities rise against communities, and nations dash against nations. Tyrants fill their dominions with sorrow, misery, and death; bloody heroes, followed by infuriate bands, spread havoc, ruin, and dismay through all their course, while superstition binds in chains, racks with tortures, and sacrifices its millions of victims. In tracing along the history of mankind, there is no period which we can select when mankind have not seemed as busy in destroying their own, and the happiness of others, as the lower animals are in seeking their appropriate enjoyments. At one time we behold Xerxes pouring forth all Asia upon Europe, where three million beings were brought to be slaughtered by the Greeks. At another time the Greeks, headed by Alexander, return upon Asia, and spread over most of the known world, pillaging, burning, and slaughtering. Then we behold Alaric, at the head of barbarous hordes, desolating all the Roman empire, and destroying the monuments of taste, science, and the arts. Then we see Tamerlane rushing forth, overrunning Persia, India, and other parts of Asia, carrying carnage and the most desolating cruelty in his course, so that it is recorded that he would cause thousands of his prisoners to be pounded in mortars with bricks to form into walls. From Europe we behold of Crusaders rush forth upon the plains of Asia, with rapine, and famine, and outrage attending their course. Then come forth from Eastern Asia the myrmidons of Genghis Khan, ravaging fifteen millions of square miles, beheading 100,000 prisoners at one time, shaking the whole earth with terror, and exterminating fourteen millions of their fellow-men. Then from the northern forests are seen swarming forth the Goths and Vandals, sweeping over Europe and Asia, and bearing away every vestige of arts, civilization, comfort, and peace. At another time we see the professed head of the Christian Church slaughtering the pious and inoffensive Albigenses, sending horror into their peaceful villages, and torturing thousands of inoffensive victims. six millions At one period of history the whole known world seemed to be one vast field of carnage and commotion. The Huns, Vandals, and other Northern barbarians were ravaging France, Germany, and Spain; the Goths were plundering and murdering in Italy, and the Saxons and Angles were overrunning Great Britain. The Roman armies under Justinian, together with the Vandals and Huns, were desolating Africa; the barbarians of Scythia were pouring down upon the Roman empire; the Persian armies were pillaging and laying waste the countries of Asia; the Arabians, under Mohammed, were beginning to extend their conquests over Syria, Palestine, Egypt, Barbary, and Spain. Every nation and kingdom on earth was shaking to its centre. The smoke and the spirits of the bottomless pit seemed coming up to darken, and torment, and affright mankind. The most fertile countries were converted to deserts, and covered with ruins of once flourishing cities and villages; the most fiendish cruelty was practiced; famine raged to such a degree that the living fed upon the dead; prisoners were tortured by the most refined systems of cruelty; public edifices were destroyed; the monuments of science and the arts perished; cruelty, fraud, avarice, murder, and every crime that disgraces humanity, were let loose upon a wretched world. Historians seem to shudder in attempting to picture these horrid scenes, and would draw a veil over transactions that disgrace mankind. If from ancient times we look at the present state of the world, at its present most refined and enlightened period, the same mournful evidence is discovered. Cruelty and tyranny have changed some of the fairest provinces of Persia to deserts. The Turk long ago turned the land of the patriarchs and prophets to a wilderness, and drenched the shores of Greece with the blood of slaughtered victims, while Syria, Kurdistan, and Armenia for ages have been ravaged with injustice and rapine. China and Japan have been shut out from the world by a cold and jealous selfishness. In Tartary, Arabia, and Siberia, the barbarous tribes are prowling about for plunder, or engaged in murderous conflicts. In Africa, the Barbary States are in perpetual commotion; the petty tyrants of Benin, Ashantee, and other interior states are waging ceaseless wars, murdering their prisoners, and adorning their houses with their skulls; and on its ravaged coast the white man-stealer, for hundreds of years, has been prowling, and bearing off thousands of wretches as a yearly offering to the avarice of the most refined and Christian nations on earth. In North America, we have seen the native tribes employed in war, and practicing the most fiendish barbarities, while in South America, its more civilized inhabitants are engaged in constant political and bloody commotions. In the islands of the ocean thousands of human beings have been fighting each other, throwing darts and stones at strangers, offering human sacrifices, and feasting on the flesh of their enemies. If we select Europe for the exhibition of human nature as seen under the restraints of civilization, laws, refinement, and religion, the same evils burst forth from bonds and restraints. In Europe, for ages, the common people, in slavery and ignorance, have been bowing down to a grinding priesthood, or an oppressive nobility or monarchical tyranny. Incessant heaving of the troubled nations portends desolation and dismay, as man seems waking from the slavery of ages to shake off his fetters and call himself free. If we look to our own boasted land of liberty and religion, what toiling of selfish and discordant interests—what mean and low-lived arts to gain honor and power—what shameful attacks on fair reputation and unblemished honor—what collisions of party-strifes and local interests! Here also the curse of slavery brings the blush of shame to every honest man that, from year to year, on the anniversary of the national liberty, hears the declarations of rights this very nation is trampling under foot. Millions of slaves, deprived of the best blessing and the dearest rights of humanity, are held in the most degrading bondage by a nation who yearly and publicly acknowledge their perfect and unalienable rights. The same melancholy view is no less clearly witnessed in the opinions and moral sentiments of mankind. The mind of man is formed to love happiness, to be pleased with what promotes it, and to detest that which tends to destroy it, yet the long reign of selfishness has seemed to pervert and poison even the taste and moral sentiments of men. Who is the hero sung by the poet, eulogized by the statesman, and flattered by the orator? Who is it presented in classic language to the gaze of enthusiastic childhood, and pictured forth in tales of romance to kindling youth? It is the man who has given up his life to the gratification of pride, and the love of honor and fame; the man who, to gain this selfish good, can plunge the sword into the bosom of thousands, and stand the unpitying spectator of burning cities, widowed mothers, orphan children, desolated fields, and the long train of ills that he wantonly pours on mankind, that he may gain the miserable pittance of gaping admiration and dreadful renown which rises amid the tears and cries of mankind. It is the man who, when injured, knows not how to forgive—whose stinted soul never knew the dignity and pleasure of giving blessing for ill—who deems it the mark of honor and manhood to follow the example of the whining infant, that, when he is struck, with the same noble spirit will strike back again. Meantime, the calm forbearance and true dignity of virtue, that would be humbled at recrimination and can not condescend to retaliate, is put in the background as unworthy such honors and eulogy. Thus, also, we find intellect, which the Creator designed only as the instrument of securing happiness, though perverted to vice and folly, applauded and admired; and even some of those admired as among the wisest of mankind have often placed true virtue and goodness below the fancied splendors of genius and learning. All the maxims, and honors, and employments of mankind develop the perverted action of the noblest part of the creation of God in all its relations and in all its principles and pursuits. It is into such a world as this that every new-born mind is ushered without knowledge to guide, without habits to strengthen, without the power of forming a ruling purpose to do right which shall control all subordinate volitions. Instead of meeting perfect educators to instruct in the laws of the system, to form good habits, and to exert all the powerful social, domestic, and civil influences aright, every one of these powerful principles are fatally wrong. Parents, teachers, companions, and rulers, to a greater or less extent, teach wrong, train wrong, and set wrong examples, while the whole moral atmosphere is contaminated and paralyzing. In these circumstances, it is as for a young mind to commence existence here with perfect obedience to law, and to continue through life in a course of perfect rectitude, as it is for it, by its feeble will, to regulate the winds of heaven, or turn back the tides of the ocean. impossible About HackerNoon Book Series: We bring you the most important technical, scientific, and insightful public domain books. This book is part of the public domain. Catharine Esther Beecher (2017). Common Sense Applied to Religion; Or, The Bible and the People. Urbana, Illinois: Project Gutenberg. Retrieved https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/55531/pg55531-images.html This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at , located at . www.gutenberg.org https://www.gutenberg.org/policy/license.html

WRONG ACTION OF MIND, AND ITS RESULTS IN THIS LIFE. 

Defence of a Theatre of War (continued) When no Decision is Sought for

Everything You Need to Know About Account Based Marketing 

অ্যাকাউন্ট ভিত্তিক মার্কেটিং সম্পর্কে আপনার যা কিছু জানা দরকার

Alles, was Sie über Account Based Marketing wissen müssen

Todo lo que necesita saber sobre el marketing basado en cuentas

Tout ce que vous devez savoir sur le marketing basé sur les comptes

खाता आधारित मार्केटिंग के बारे में वह सब कुछ जो आपको जानना आवश्यक है

アカウントベースのマーケティングについて知っておくべきことすべて

계정 기반 마케팅에 대해 알아야 할 모든 것

Tudo o que você precisa saber sobre marketing baseado em contas

Все, что вам нужно знать о маркетинге на основе учетных записей

Stories, News & Mentions about BONDA

Bonda’s Stories on HackerNoon