A Word To The Wise - "Upvoting Is An Opportunity, Not A Cost"

In my view, there are two types of curation achieved by upvoting on Steemit.

The first type is with the intention of maximizing financial gain. It's about the money.

The second is to inspire and reward content creators for personal satisfaction, while also receiving some financial benefit. It's about the people.

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While those most concerned with maximizing their ROI valiantly debate reward curve proposals in circles, content creators are flat out left to dry.

This is critical because content creators are the ones who bring the most value and engagement to Steemit. Without them, Steemit would be an empty shell with limited future appeal to the masses.

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A lot of people seem to have a dichotomous view about this. It's black and white no matter how they slice it. Perhaps there's another way.

Some see upvoting and curation as solely an income generating vehicle, where it's viewed as "charity" when applied to others. I strongly disagree with this, but it's reality.

The irony is that a resteem could do far more than an upvote if someone didn't want to impact their curation.

Others see upvoting (and curation) as a means to keep the Steemit community growing and healthy. It's a way to motivate others and share in prosperity for our contributions. If we're putting in quality effort to make this a better place, upvoting keeps people feeling appreciated and inspired.

For those who feel it's mainly a profit maximization tool, I encourage you to think bigger. Stakeholders upvoting for personal gain have surely caused negative impact on the community and retention decay, but it's profitable to do so, and rationalizations continue to spread like wildfire.

Heck, I'm even struggling to stay onboard when respect for content creation and positivity is not a priority for many who have the biggest opportunity to help.

To me, people come first. Helping someone feel respect and encouragement is why I upvote. Curation rewards are not important to me, but I understand how they can be for others.

Voting power is also rechargeable. I don't see voting as a cost. I see it only as a means to reward others. Sadly, this seems to be the minority view when it comes down to peoples' actions on the platform.

There's no harm in finding a balance for the best of both worlds. The more you give, the more you'll get in return in the long run. Let's try to remember that.

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Once again, I upvoted a new Steemian's intro post 100% as the best use of my Steem Power. Their post is here if you'd like to join in.

^{This post's quote was by me.}

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Previous A Word To The Wise Posts:

• "Be A Fountain, Not A Drain"
• "We Can't Help Everyone, But Everyone Can Help Someone"
• "True Change Is Within; Leave The Outside As It Is"
• "Where There Is Unity, There Is Always Victory"
• "The Best Way To Predict The Future Is To Create It"

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Please see my post where I'm debating going to SteemFest and share your advice.

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Thank you,
@steemmatt

^{(Stay tuned for more simple positive messages, and let me know if you like them!)}