I wonder if I were ever to leave Hive, whether I would make a big song and dance about it, or would just slide off into the darkness of night, never to return. Whichever way I would choose, it would be weird after so many years to not interact here daily. Though, perhaps if I was planning on leave, it would likely be for some reason and I might be glad for it.
From my experience over the years of people leaving though, those who try to make a big deal of it and grab as much attention as possible, are also those who haven't done so well here and are often, those who won't be missed too much. Some are or were once about decent content creators, many were just constant complainers.
But this post isn't about ragging on anyone specifically or those who have chosen to leave, as that is just a natural part of platforms and applications. People change their habits, opinions, and are attracted to other things all of the time. This is more about the opportunity that we have, and what we do with it. As what I have found, is that a lot of people have a lot of potential in the Hive space given their skills, yet many don't actually use their skills well.
Or maybe it is that they don't possess other skills required to make those they do have, more impactful. There seems to be an expectation that all one needs to do is create some content, make some comments and it will all come together as an awesome experience full of earnings and praise. And all of this success can't possibly take more than a few weeks at most.
It is not just an age thing, but I also think that the more people are on the internet for their life experience, the less creative they are, and the less patient they become. Weirdly on Hive, older people tend to do better long term, largely because they have a wealth of real-world experience, and they have more patience and commitment. Commitment is lacking in the world in all areas today, probably because there is so many options available.
People are spoiled for choice, so why commit to a product, a platform, or a relationship?
I know a lot of people looking for "meaning" in their life in some form or another, but what can that be when there is no commitment to back it up? All these social movements people get behind to feel like they are part of something, doing something, but what is actually being done?
Relevancy.
People want to feel relevant, without doing the work to be relevant. And no, being relevant doesn't have to be some world-changing outcome, but it does take action. We all have the potential to be relevant in this world, but what kind of relevant do people want to be? For many, it is about trying to get the feeling of relevancy as easily as possible, without having to put in the effort required to be relevant. It is the changing of a profile picture to show "solidarity" with some group cause, but not actually needing to put any skin in the game.
But the easiest way to feel relevant on social media is to create drama, not content. And many buy into a process of constant winding up of emotions in order to elicit reactions from people. And the easiest way to do this is in the negative. And it is generally these types of people who end up not surviving on Hive, because their support base dwindles down to the people who have no skin in the game. They have nothing left to lose on Hive.
They are losers.
The economy is pretty much all driven by attention in some form these days, which means that no matter how good a product is, it doesn't sell itself. But the internet is predominantly driven by negative attention, but the majority of the attention people provide comes at no cost, and there is nothing to earn. The points scored are all about getting that feeling of mattering. Hive is a bit different though, because there is some value to the points and there are people invested in the platform itself. That means that the negative attention-seekers, the bitter trolls, don't last long. At least from an earnings perspective.
But the fact is, that while "intelligence" plays a part, there are other traits and skills involved too. And just like anything, it is not really about how much resources someone has, but how they use them. Some people might have a large amount of money coming in from a job, but are still living hand to mouth. Another might earn modestly, but is consistently investing. Five, ten or twenty years down the road, one is retired, the other is still living hand to mouth.
How many use their resources well?
I suspect not too many. Some people have all the opportunity in the world to succeed, but constantly find ways to undermine themselves, to sabotage their own efforts, and lose any gains they make. Why is that? Why can intelligent people behave so stupidly at times?
While I have my suspicions, what I like about writing on Hive is that this space provides area for exploration, learning, and growth. It is a place where it is possible to reflect on experience and test opinions in a community of people who are predominantly looking to grow themselves in many ways also. At least, that is my experience here. However, if you spend your time with the scumlords seeking negative attention, it is likely a different experience altogether.
At this point, if I were to leave Hive, it would probably mean I was dead. Because for me, it is a place where I am able to keep growing as a person and interacting with a wide range of people from many backgrounds. The content I create is based on my own experiences, observations and reflections, and I am able to flesh them out further, and make my view of the world more robust, rather than narrower. When it comes to the negative people, they always come and go and I wish them well on their journey. But with the bitterness in their voice, I suspect that their real life isn't filled with roses and candy.
We are all relevant in our own lives.
Even there, many choose to have negative impacts.
Taraz
[ Gen1: Hive ]
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