I think this post is a perfect example of this paradox. I only clicked on your post because it was young and had a high price tag. But I knew that I had to read it to make a meaningful comment in the hopes of a random whale vote.

So while I was motivated by greed, I actually read the message that you presented.

That doesn't mean that I only look for posts that I can make money on. The more time I spend here, the less time I think about getting a quick buck. I become engaged in the topics and forget that I'm making money. I see how the "pros" format their posts, and research their posts. It makes me want to do the same.

The rewards present a tremendous opportunity. As someone new to blogging, I've never been more passionate about perusing my interest than now. Steemit is constantly forcing me to think about "What's something cool that only I can post?"

As someone who doesn't spend much time on social media, the rewards also encourage me to find interesting authors and engage with them.

This place is a strange experiment. The amount of positivity here is almost nauseating until you realize that most people are nauseatingly nice when their words can have a financial impact. Just like in real life.

I'm not too worried about the scammers and shitposters. Once people get a few months under their belt, I think the majority of people will settle down and realize that garbage won't cut it.

TLDR: I'm thrilled about the rewards. I think it's ok if people pursue them first. They are the perfect encouragement for any creative soul that didn't have the dedication to spend years building a social media presence. They can start out slow and earn money and encouragement and feedback along the way.

Then again, I'm just a newbie.