A little less contribution a little more action please

Short attention spans are common these days as it goes hand in hand with the instant gratification process that so many adhere to, and then wonder why they aren't rich. To invest into life changing value, takes risk and generally patience but the short focus that is encouraged even more by short and shallow content makes it out of reach for most people. That is okay, we all have our journey through life.

Perhaps this is just the way it is going to always be, while some will find ways to adapt and grow despite the conditions, the majority will spend their tie waiting for the right conditions to form. And when it doesn't go their way, which is the way they expect it to go, they complain and lay blame. This isn't only on Steem though is it?

It is funny how people seem to treat Steem as something that is independent from other aspects of life and do not factor in all the influences that affect experience here that are external. Many don't recognize the difference in skill and knowledge that people carried in here with them either. What skills did you carry in, are you a developer? An economist? What?

Many people who have come from other social networks are used to the drama of social media as that is what gathers attention, the only currency that most people have on those platforms. So, they become attention seekers, shilling themselves and their ideas with the clickbait BS of "just wait and see" and "tune in later". Attention seekers are interesting because they all think they are worthy of attention, but deny that they are looking for it. Narcissists that think they are important enough and believe what the offer is valuable enough, that people who aren't even interested in what they offer should support them.

Is it though? What value does it have?

On Steem for example, what has value for price? I am pretty sure that the poem I wrote last night didn't push prices much, but I will take credit for Steem riding a few percent higher today. No need to thank me for adding that 3 million to the market cap.

However, over the space of years I am pretty sure that I have influenced people's behavior on Steem in various ways and those people have gone on to influence others. This is a network effect akin to word of mouth and if it encourages people to improve their deliveries and take advantage of the blockchain in various ways, that does help the platform.

Maybe it doesn't since I can't tie it to an increase in price. Perhaps the fall from 8,30 to 20 cents was because of one of my poems that didn't hit the mark. Sorry, I didn't think it was that bad, but the 1.5 billion fall was me too. Oops.

I find it interesting how pompous many people are as they believe that they bring so much value to the blockchain that the place wouldn't survive without them. As I have said before, I have seen many people who considered themselves irreplaceable, get replaced. Adapt or die as a contributor and that is what employees are. As soon as they no longer hold value, they are out. Owners however have a different life path as even if they are unable to adapt with their work, their ownership protects their relevance in the organization.

What I like about Steem is that I can be both, I can contribute what I like which is often what I consider as value-adding to the community in some way and, I can take a small piece of the ownership responsibility that allows me to benefit from and enable others in various ways. I don't have a very good employee mindset however, I know many that do not want to be owners of a business as the cost to their time and energy coupled with the risk of failure is not what they are keen on taking aboard in their lives.

That is okay, not everyone can own a business and not everyone need to in order to benefit from it but, those that do own have to have enough attention span to stick through good and bad. This is something many people no longer hold which is why most will always be employees or worse, unemployed and reliant. People complain about governments and taxes yet, how many here are living off them and benefiting from the social services they supply?

If there is a better way then it has to come down to ownership and provision but that ownership has to be spread wide enough that it can support all of those who are unable or unwilling to participate. Or, should we just cut off the ones that are unable and unwilling to add value into the ecosystem that benefits others? Doesn't sound great but, it is doable as after all, it is already done.

That is not the plan that I have but I also understand that regardless of the end-goal, it takes time, patience and dedication to reach it and those with short attention spans are likely going to flitter from experience to experience without ever owning a thing. This is fine too but eventually, they might run out of flowers to flit from and be left homeless. Is that my fault? We all own our own experience don't we?

Someone said that they no longer see Steem as a place they feel about, they see it as a tool and a tool is to be used. That is good, finally. It is a tool and it should be used in the same way a hammer, nail and some boards can be turned into a house and made into home. The thing with building a home though is that it requires skills to build and if you don't possess those skills yourself and have no friends who are wiling to build it for you, you are going to have to pay a carpenter, bricklayer, tiler, plumber and electrician. Do you have the skills or own the funds to build your home?

As said, what I like about Steem is that I can be many things here and contribute in many ways, even if my poetry sucks.

Taraz
[ a Steem original ]