I’ve been getting a lot of Steemit Chat messages that I’m currently not answering. I apologize.
Actually, I’m getting messages from all over social media requesting my advice about Steemit and cryptocurrencies. I’m not accustomed to this level of attention and I find that I’m now unable to respond to everyone. However, I don’t want to ignore people as I think that’s rude, so I have started to think more about how I can help people better understand Steemit.
I now understand why people find it so difficult to comprehend: Steemit has characteristics of the gift economy and we’re all living in a European-dominant commodity economy paradigm. Let’s first explore the gift economy.
A Gift Economy is one where status is given to individuals based on what they give to others as opposed to a commodity or exchange economy where status is given to those individuals who have the most (Pinchot 1999). -Learning To Give
Native cultures are based on the philosophy that humans are the stewards of the natural world, and not consumers of the world’s resources. Unlike European American values, “wealth” in Native American culture is not measured by net worth, but rather by a combination of spiritual qualities, material goods, and behavior. Leaders are selected for their ability to take care of the tribe by sharing their wisdom and wealth (Millett and Orosz 2002). -Learning To Give
So, let’s take a look at a concrete example of the gift economy in action on Steemit.
A well-known, popular Steemit user, @papa-pepper, exemplified this gift economy behavior towards an individual, @darthnava, who was going through a difficult life situation. @darthnava recently wrote a post in which he described his challenging medical situation: he received some life-threatening MRI results and found out that he would be needing surgery immediately. He also revealed in his post that he didn’t have the funds to cover this life-saving operation. The Steemit community responded swiftly and proactively, with a huge majority of the whales (large account holders) upvoting his post to over $17,000, which was more than enough to cover his medical expenses. However, @papa-pepper went out of his way to donate $2,ooo USD out of his own pocket to @darthnava.
After @papa-pepper made his huge donation, the Steemit community once again went wild with upvotes, cheering on @papa-pepper’s generous spirit and the entire community lifted up @papa-pepper, almost to a king status. Many could not understand his gesture. This indicated to me that most are still existing in a European-dominant commodity economic model. I grew up in a community that has elements of the gift economy, so it didn't surprise me too much. Plus, I already knew papa was a gift giver.
These upvotes turned out to equal a significant amount of money, too. This type of behavior is more reminiscent of Native American tribal culture, not European commodity culture in one very specific way: @papa-pepper acted from his own conscience, not from an institutionalized philanthropy paradigm. He didn’t donate to a charity, he donated to a person directly by acting from his own conscience. Here’s @papa-pepper’s belief system in a nutshell:
It’s a simple statement but one that is currently not embedded in our mainstream commodity-centric, obsessive net-worth culture:
“It is important for us to help one another when the opportunities present themselves.” -papa-pepper
We did learn, however, in @papa-pepper's video, that he is making up for his past bad behavior by becoming a generous, caring man. But I think many of us realize that we would never even know his story if Dan Larimer hadn't engineered Steem to work in the context of the gift economy. Steem's design brings this out.
The gift economy is further understood when we look at what happened to @papa-pepper after he had made the huge monetary donation.
The Steemit community was so overjoyed by his act, that they began upvoting his comments about his donation. These upvotes from the community turned into a significant sum of money. @papa-pepper’s account was then padded, but the real boost came in the form of his enhanced character, increased status and leadership position as a caretaker of the Steemit tribe. Steemit at this stage, it is a tribe, I would assert. And @papa-pepper like myself, came into Steemit with nothing, and also does not have a huge account. His account is a medium-sized one, and he’s considered to be a dolphin. There are plenty of accounts much larger than his. But his account is growing due to his behavior and status as a power giver. This is opposite of what is currently being touted as a successful, killing-it-entreprenuer bro meme:
image: http://antiwantrepreneur.tumblr.com/
Nothing about @papa-pepper’s act was institutionalized, as it came directly from his heart, not through some organized philanthropy foundation. Empathy was its fuel.
This is in direct conflict with the European-dominant model of wealth hoarding and emphasis on net worth. Furthermore, in the European model, the donor would not instantly receive back a portion of his donation. S/he might get a tax break, but those funds would not be returned instantly by the community which received the gift.
Of course, lots of wealthy people give money to philanthropic foundations and gain status by giving such donations. But @papa-pepper is from a modest background and was not a rich man when he entered Steemit. His natural gift-giving behavior is the reason he’s become rather well-off in Steemit. Plus, he’s an active blogger with a wealth of creative ideas that are inclusive of others. I believe his spirit is a real example of the gift economy and the primary reason he’s doing so well on the Steemit platform. And hence, why it’s so hard for newbies to grasp his success. Understanding his success requires a gigantic mental paradigm shift that no one really explains or breaks down into digestible directives (until now :)).
This means that there’s a culture of giving, and that giving to others can increase one’s status, wealth and position in Steemit. The more one gives to the community in the form of useful energy, the more one receives in the form of money.
It is the super nerds who hold the purse strings in Steemit, not the sleazebag marketers with zero substance.
The other thing that’s different in this example is the fact that @papa-pepper’s act was so direct, and affected the community in a direct and immediate way. That is partly because the friction of banking has been dissolved. A flash of empathy can result in a life-saving donation in less than 2 minutes.
The gift economy is the true reason that posts from open source programmers receive such high payouts on Steemit.
Creating open source software and other programming projects is a very time-consuming, meticulous endeavor. And if it’s open source, then no monetization mechanism really exists within the code itself. Steemit recognizes and monetarily rewards the gifts of these open source programmers, thereby creating a stable way for these programmers to continue making their Steem software projects. Steemit completes the circle that has been broken for a long time, both with programmers and other creative types who generate un-monetizable gifts of the mind.
Nature and our imaginations are abundant beyond our wildest dreams. It is because of small-minded, greedy men that most of humanity suffers today.
If it wasn't for Satoshi Nakamoto's open source gift of blockchain technology to the world, it's doubtful you and I would be here right now.
Steemit is a sustainable model for creators of all kinds, as well as others who create and share abundance, and I’m not aware of anything else like it on the internet. It could be the first time that true intelligence is considered to be the dominant money-generating commodity. Think of it as intelligence-as-a-service (IAAS).
Of course, there are popular posts that make a lot of money, too, but the highest grossing Steemit post of all time was created a programmer named @xeroc. Here’s a screenshot of the $46,973 Steemit post that details the open source Steem GUI:
Being successful on Steemit is linked to how well you can navigate inside a functioning gift economy. Time to throw out the old worn-out paradigms and learn something very valuable for the present and future.
If you're a writer on Medium, and want your articles to be included in the Medium publication, Steem Stories, please put a link to one of your articles in the comment below and I will add you as a writer.
Also, if you're on Facebook and want to be a social media manager for the Steemit Newbies Facebook Page, please comment below. I'm in need of assistance.
Thank you,
Stellabelle (accept no substitutes)
"I have researched the magic shapes of the happiness no one escapes."
And in case you're thinking I'm referring to Uber when I say "gift economy", I'm not. I worked for Uber, and it's not the sharing economy that everyone thinks it is. It's the exploitation economy, wrapped up inside a fancy app.
Stellabelle has written one book, Un-Crap Your Life, which is available on Amazon. She can be found most days on Steemit. She also works for the Dash DAO as an editor, writer and video creator.
Hi Stellabelle,
I couldnt agree more with your post! It's truly amazing how the steemit community can help eachother both with money but also wiyh sharing real knowledge. I read your i ntro to your book on amazon Un-crap your life and it is totally spot on how many people feel today struggling to keep ypurself motivated and like you said changing they way you go about your life. Every person on thos earth🌍 has something to share that makes a difference and we are more powerful than we think. We just need to take back the power so we can decide ourselves what to do with our lives. People today are striggling just to keep a status quo this needs to change and it will soon thats what i believe the 99,999% of people will have a more meaningful life o es this old economy will go down amd STEEMIT is a life changer for ull of us.
Keep up the great work @stellabelle😁 Full Steem Ahead!
Best regards,
André @survivebubble
Great and thought provoking read, definitely puts a new perspective to the way things work here. Thank you for sharing this, a gift giving economy is one that can be definitely sustainable.
Curious to know, what help you would require on FB. Would certainly like to pitch in.
Indeed it is thought provoking. I also think that giving needs effort. Taking comes more naturally. If you believe in evolution then you know that the earliest people thrived because they took, protected their own interest. The giving probably came at a later time as a matter of need, to support their community or to survive amidst other competing or much stronger communities (tributes).
If you have a theistic worldview however, you know that man was made after God's own image, we have His qualities although it got corrupted. So deep inside we are coded for acts of kindness. @papa-pepper's actions are not at all strange. It's just rare. He practiced what the Bible calls true religion.. being kind to another person.
I think both economies are at work here. The commodity economy is the underlying model. You get paid for your efforts (posting, voting, curating, commenting, resteeming, steemgigs, etc.). The more influence and SP you have the bigger transactions you can make and effect on the ebb and flow of the economy. Commodity here then is effort and influence. Above that underlying model is your gift-economy. It's unseen, it transcends the underlying Python code. It's the human spirit. You could never predict how a post can become viral and change lives whatever the content is. It's the x-factor that fuels this whole thing.
Just my 2-SteemCents.
I found this to be an inspirational read. Thanks for sharing.
Upvote and followed. What a wonderful piece.
I guess you are an American. From your write-up, anyone would think like that. I am an African, and your described GIFT ECONOMY was integral part and a strong characteristic of most African economy before the arrival of European colonialist and introduction of their economic system. I understand your post so well because the whole pictures you painted are familiar. Thanks and weldone for your hard work.
yes, well i think gift economy is superior to European model. Gift economy creates happiness, European model creates division and poverty. That's my 2 cents. yeah, i am American
We should have exported this kind African culture to the world, rather than the European economic model. is it still easy to find places where people live like this?
It is no longer in measure. The system had been watered down, and you only see small particles of its effects in the rural settings. I hail from among the Igbo community. I remember our childhood days when people lived and shared things in common. People desired to help one another. Shout in the middle of the night, the whole community will run out, conven in your house to know the reason.
Today, I resident in Abuja, the capital city, where people mind their businesses. A neighbour who wants to be nice can only call police to come and find out why you shout and rescue you. It is a self-centered life, economy, no give and take.
i hope we can take the best of the old ways and the new. Sometimes it seems we are taking the worst from both but I think it is changing as we connect more with each other though these roundabout means. I would be happy to learn more about your experiences :-) see you around here
Gifts for everyone! It's a great motivator!
Are you making fun of the gift economy idea here, @pitterpatter? I wonder if you're misunderstanding what it is...
lol love your gif. Only if i could find something that motivates me to get going. I'm not talking about weight loss but financially and career wise.
Hi,
My hubbie and I are new to Steemit.
Jack (my husband) was on Facebook back when most people were still using Windows 2000, so he is not new to social networks, although up until recently he was only on Twitter, since Facebook did their thing a few years ago.
I am still on Facebook, more so because of the communications it offers and the fact that most of my family and friends are there does make it a good tool to communicate with them. Similar to Skype and/or Viber but with a "social network" fragment to it.
Over the past few days both my husband and I have taken different approaches to our being here, he wants to get into it 100 miles per hour, make new friends, follow as many people as possible to see who all is out there and so on.
I on the other hand am just chilling out, posting what I like, what comes to mind, what puts a smile on my face, obviously I am still under the influence of Twitter limitations to text and somewhat the Facebook "Big Brother" ordeal!
Learning as I go along.
My hubbie told me to read this and to watch an interview with you (posted on Steemit) did so and have to admit that you have spiced up my interests.
Apart from the usual pow wows we have, this weekend we shall be sitting down and pow wowing over Steemit.
THANK YOU.
That is what this all boils down to.
In fact I shall make this a post and list the links to the articles I am referring to.
Sylvia
Here is my post:
https://steemit.com/steemit/@sylviamiller/understanding-is-the-key-factor-to-start-moving-in-the-right-direction
THANKS AGAIN!
great, I am glad you found something of value.
Steemit is not a money making platform. You share your Realistic thought. If Community like then upvote. If they not upvote that's not mean you are worthless, that means you are out dated, you have to renew yourself come with new idea thats community like.
I was reading through steemit .. I found this post, I cacht my atension and made read it... It is a new point of view on how this works here.. This is a very interesting post .. thank you for the post .
Interesting post, thanks for sharing 100 upvoted from @chanthasam
I enjoyed it as well. :)
ME TOO!! WOW
Keep working, stop paying.
There are more important things than money.
What would we reward @papa-pepper with if money wasn't an option?
Love.
Support. Admiration. The emotional needs if there are no physical needs. Maslov's pyramid, ya know?
Yep, but crapitalism places no value on such things.
Better to short circuit the paradigm, to just keep working, while refusing to buy that work back from it's distributors.
Let us build a community that supports humanity and reaches for happiness and the stars!
I have never thought of Steemit in that analogy, but you are absolutely correct. (Light bulb goes on). This is a great way to explain it to others.
you haven't studied Dan like I have.
"By using a decentralized currency members of any society can rest assured that no government can seize funds backing gift commitments." -Dan Larimer
https://bytemaster.github.io/update/2015/12/31/Mutual-Aid-Society/
there's a reason you never thought of it: it's hidden knowledge.
This is so true. We all have the power to acquire such knowledge...but, it's a closely guarded secret. Fuck the elitist scum! We deserve to know!
Really informative post, everyone should read this and know what Steemit is! You're totally right about it being a gift giving economy!
I would like to help manage the Steemit Newbies Facebook Page as I published a post earlier today about how newbies have to be consistent and put in some effort to get results, or make some money!
I believe that would be a good addition to the Facebook page as well! :)
That's how i felt as i was reading . I wish my friends and family were reading this with me. People are so confused out there.
ok send me a private message in steemit chat
Great post. I'd like to extend it a little further and comment on how we currently measure "value" in our society via flawed GDP and other statistical models. Things such as unpaid work, environmental quality, family and leisure time etc. are excluded because they do not have an assigned monetary value. These things do not involve resource scarcity, meaning one person has to miss out so another person can benefit.
Our current economic system says that the more scarce something is, the more valuable it becomes, and this is easy for economists to measure. So "caring for others" goes unrecognised despite being highly valuable and important to our wellbeing and quality of life. I think your post is a fantastic example of how - through cryptocurrencies - we can show that these types of actions and activities are highly valued by many people, even though there's no guaranteed personal financial incentive for this kind of behaviour.
bloody hell, that's a fantastic written post. steemit has continued to show me what social media SHOULD have been from the start before the marketing machines got into the base camps at twitter and facebook. upvoted! :)
BLOODY HELL FANTASTIC i'm smiling>> WELL SAID
@stellabelle I grow a deeper fondness for you with every post I read. I do believe you have truly expressed in words the community giving spirit of Steemit. So many times in life I have had people try to take advantage of me because kindness was given to them. I'll admit it started to make me jaded. When I very first arrived at Steemit over 9 months ago I was pretty broken. My posts were sad, depressing, and I was a hot mess. Through the kind words of fellow Steemians, heartfelt responses to my posts, and two 3 month breaks later I am a stronger/happier person, have a closer family, and reached 59 days of sobriety today. I have reverted back to the kindness I use to show others and am better for it.
Keep doing what you do!
ah, the drinking...i know it well.
I have to fight with addictions every day, it's a struggle.
Finding true sources of happiness, and finding examples of people doing good things is what keeps me in check.
And reminding myself of my past behavior, misery and hangovers, too....
Thank you so much for this post. I had similar thoughts but dismissed them as naive. My main objection to my thoughts was that this gift economy is not accessible to everybody and therefore not a solution to this worlds problems. Millions of people on this planet can ask for help through Steemit. But if I think about it more, Steemit is not the only gift economy. Every city, every block, every social circle can be a gift economy. Gifts don't only come in the form of money of course, they can come in the form of affection, food, shelter and many other.
The biggest barrier to entry into the gift economy is the fear of not getting anything in return.
I have spent a lot of time thinking on this. I visited an Amish town many years ago and this happened:
As my friend and i drove through the town, we found a sign that said, "free tomatoes". We decided to stop, and check it out. An Amish family came out to greet us and handed us some tomotoes. I couldn't take the gift, and began to fumble for something to give them in return. I asked if she wanted money. She shook her head, then said this,
"This is the problem with modern people. They don't know how to accept a gift."
She was right. I learned something big that day, for i knew my culture was not worth holding onto. I have a different worldview than most people, as I have lived in many countries, including Japan. The Amish, my community, and Japanese have instructed me to how to live better than anything i've learned from mainstream in the United States.
This is a great little story.
Ah, yes! Giving and receiving are two things we need to practice. To give freely and to graciously receive without guilt. I find it's much easier to give freely when you've learned to be truly thankful for what you receive without feeling you need to pay it back. Many people know how to take but the is very different.
It's not naive @homosapiens. We don't have to abolish a market economy before we can start a gift economy, the gift economy has always existed and will always exist, as we grow more and more abundance and learn how to distribute that abundance a gift economy can become more prevalent :-)
A wonderful post, Stella. I really do hope that more and more people continue to find steemit and realise just how valuable this type of economy is. It is healthy and supportive, as opposed to our current diseased economy. It really does present a catalyst for world change.
We're not going to the m00n, we're going to Saturn
I enjoyed your analysis and agree with it. Steemit is a secret. Programmers write painstaking code for no guaranteed reward. Content creators write, design, paint, illustrate for no guaranteed reward. It's all done in a manner to make the platform a richer environment. Gifts are bestowed to the content that is deemed the most useful or valuable. Gifts are also given to those who also use charity to make steemit a stronger community. Good work.
Steemit is always informative, as well as your post does;)
That's one of the great point making it so different, thanks for sharing!
Thank you @stellabelle for sharing, as i felt it too and have been vocal to my friends about steemit, i believe that we are entering a new paradigm in which each individual here are practicing good deeds and sharing ideas for free, and i also believe we are in the age of information, as with other platform, we became so addicted to know more and to be known more! We really forgot about our value as an individual! We browse all day thinking how successfull people are in their lives but we dont see whats behind, beut with steemit there is authentic connection, now i am addicted to steemit ina good way, as i have been longing for connection as i know that its like a practice that eventually will manifest in the real world! We are making the changes we want in this world! Thank you so much! Namaste!🙏🏼
It can be a good future if we decide we want that.
True, but with this, power is given back to the people!
This is the best tool humanity has ever had.
hi again @stellabelle,
I saw this title after I wrote my own about the new rules for the new economy written by Kevin Kelly over 10 years ago, alot of it is reflected there!
Some of the the new rules apply directly on your article:
2) Increasing Returns. As the number of connections between people and things add up, the consequences of those connections multiply out even faster, so that initial successes aren't self-limiting, but self-feeding.
4) Follow the Free. As resource scarcity gives way to abundance, generosity begets wealth. Following the free rehearses the inevitable fall of prices, and takes advantage of the only true scarcity: human attention. Why the Net Rewards Generosity.
9) Relationship Tech. As the soft trumps the hard, the most powerful technologies are those that enhance, amplify, extend, augment, distill, recall, expand, and develop soft relationships of all types.
Start with Technology, End with Trust
I used the 10 rules from Kevin Kelly to look at Steemit and wrote this article you might like, your comment would mean a lot!
https://steemit.com/economy/@the-traveller/how-to-think-about-steemit-com-and-navigate-it-lessons-from-new-rules-for-the-new-economy-by-kevin-kelly
yes, brilliant insights:
From my point of view you should just be yourselves on ate emit and focus more on being active and socialize with the people.. The money is a way for others to tell you "hey thanks, you are awsome".
Don't focus on greed, just chill and wait and things will happen..
Best of luck and cheers..
-goldie
Very very true. It really is a nice slow ride up - people don't need to force it.
I see a lot of people complaining about why they don't have any followers and no funds, having 3 posts on a 25 rep.. And 0 comments on any article.. It just doesn't work like that.
Here you get paid for being an active person that petty posted in the posts.. Not only scrolls and waits for income.
Anyways.. Cheers for the article :)
Steemit has opened up a completely new type of economy. As you say, it's unlike the traditional models of either Oriental or Occidental culture -- it's just new.
One of the cool things about this experiment is that we don't really know the nature of it yet. And that's interesting.
As you say, this economy rewards its users for doing good things for the community, such as free development and charitable contributions.
We are just at the beginning of this thing. I'm so excited to see where it takes us!
@shayne
actually it has much more in common with tribal societies, pre-industrial, pre-corporate.
This is the way humans evolved.
Yeah! It's like a tribal society with the added benefit of the resources for the economy coming from the act of gifting itself! Fascinating!!!
Thank you - this was a lovely and deeply thought-provoking post. So much to resonate with, especially the simple yet devastatingly powerful statement that "empathy was its fuel." In the gifting economy, the view of value goes beyond financial wealth to a more holistic perspective on connection and supportive interaction. Looking forward to reading more of your views.
And yup on Uber, although I will say I've been encouraging Uber drivers to sign up for Steemit...would be interested to hear their voices as a community. No idea whether a single one has actually signed up as a result of our conversations, but I hope that at least a few of the young men who've driven me in Cape Town this last year whose extraordinary stories of hard work and self-sacrifice get a chance to have their stories known by a broader audience.
@reko illustrating a gift economy with @helenasweden
yeah, i can see that we are entering a golden age....that is if we all decide to act on that...it appears you are doing just that.
I totally agree @stellabelle, that's why massive action is imminent. The people will surely follow as I'm aiming to be a shining beacon of light! :)
Well said I like the GIFT ECONOMY a lot better. Wow its kinda of like Pay it forward!! New world in action ...people want change and you have been giving the wonderful gift of articulating it to the masses through your writing. Your shared talent is appreciated.
GREAT article and content. I strongly suggest the book "born to run". There the author describes the "Tarahumara" people. They don't eat diverse food and they drink too much of their home made alcohol. The way the do economics is by sharing - but not by force or "living for others" as Ayn Rand describes altruism - but by choice. There are no diseases, no cancer, not injuries and they can run for days straight. They grow to be very old. :) Very interesting book and people.
That sounds really interesting, thanks for mentioning it! I want to check it out!
Cool! Im enjoying it very much!
I had to take a break from Steemit because I was overwhelmed with being on the internet and computer too much with all of the other work I do in music. Reading this post is a warm welcome back and reminder of why I love this community so much. Give thanks!
Thank you for bringing that up. Gift economy was just what was hovering inside my head for this week :) so thank you for putting it out there, I'm sure we can make more steps towards those more inclusive and understanding economies. Where the big help the small, rather than push them down the drain.
I will be back here to read up on the comments :)_
yeah, it's pretty amazing what's happening, and unexpected.
I'm glad to see anything said about a gift economy. I've been pondering this too. Is steemit a gift economy? I think it's something in between. Most interactions come at zero cost aside from a little time and effort, which for most people is still not as valuable as money. I would love to see money flowing in and out of people's wallets for no other reason but to support each other but it's still not THAT widespread here. I hope to see it more and more though. I hope that steemit can help prepare people to be able to function in such an environment and moves more and more in that direction.
Have you written about how you grew up? I've never met anyone who grew up in a gift economy.
It had elements of a gift economy, but was not a tribe. I grew up in an intentional Christian community.........i do remember sometimes when vegetables or fruit from the garden was left at our doorstep, free from our neighbors........also there is the cookie lady........
Wow, I remember being in a talent contest with @papa-pepper in which he wrangled a bee with floss and flew it around like it was on a leash; now he seems to be doing very well on steemit, what an incredible character!
Anyway, this post definitely helped me understand steemit a little better. I took a hiatus for several months as school and life responsibilities sort of overwhelmed me, but I'm trying to get back on here, and this sort of thing definitely helps approach it in a more balanced way. Thanks for sharing your wisdom Stella!
I was stunned the first time i read this so i'm gonna go ahead and read it again.Amazing post.Congrats.
Thank you for sharing this, @Stellabelle. This is what matters, real people helping other real people. We don't have to use established, legacy institutions. Through vehicles like Steemit (such a wonderful community!) and others, we can directly help those who need assistance.
Thank you for sharing what you do to help so many.
Hello. I didn't know much of papa-peper story, so thank you for explanation. I agree with you about the steemits power and unique position in the time when social media became hate fest. Glad to be around and see how people who are in a bit of pioneers really create nice community and good content. Feels good to hear stories of generosity, love and respect for a change! Keep it up people.
This was a great read! I had never heard of "gift-economies" before, and I scoffed when I read the title, but I ended up learning something new. I think the comparisons with Native American cultures are a bit too general. Not all societies in the New World behaved like this, many were as brutal if not worse than their European counterparts. But I think that it's great that we are learning from those that did. Reading your post reminded me that history tends to go in circles.
well, the Native Americans left the land in which they lived in fairly pristine condition. We have done the opposite.
What exactly do you know about Native Americans?
I like your style stellabelle! :) really cool, authentic and inspiring way to write and communicate.. I'm taking lessons here..
thank you!
@stellabelle I really think you've hit the nail on the head with this post. I have always felt that despite a few Dick heads trying to bring us down. The Steemit community is overwhelmingly generous, caring, open hearted and wanting to connect and share with fellow Steemians. #STEEMon
We are witnessing the outcome of Dan Larimer's concept of Mutual Aid Societies that he conceived of in 2015. This is a quote from his blog, and @darthnava's experience falls into this:
Mutual Aid Society
Posted by Daniel Larimer on December 31, 2015.
We are literally seeing Dan's ideas come to life.
https://bytemaster.github.io/update/2015/12/31/Mutual-Aid-Society/
Far out. That is freaking amazing. I knew I was in on something special over the past year but that is seriously mind blowing
the reason it isn't marketed as it really is, is because the dominant European commodity model is so engrained inside of people, that they wouldn't even understand if it was explained to them. So we are left with:
"Get paid to post and vote"
The reality of how Steem was designed is revolutionary beyond your wildest dreams. But the information is all there, few delve into it, though.
It really has been engineered that way. Remember, a super nerd designed it, and he is a builder of open source technology. In some ways, he built a system to solve his own problems. Many have not gone deep into Dan's plans for the future. I have read his blog. The answers are there.
So true. @dan is a next level thinker and doer. Will have to track down his blog.
Yes, really fantastic interpretation. I was totally inspired to follow papa's lead and donate to someone whom I don't know or follow on Steemit because I've had great interactions with papa and trust his big heart. I just mentioned papa in a post i did last night about PermaCryptoCulture, thinking a bit about the broader implications about what we are creating here and how it ties into land-use strategies. It's really amazing, how this is going to impact so many facets of our lives. And it's great to have folks like you and papa as ambassadors. It seems you guys have been profoundly impacted in a positive way through this community and are now spreading the love. It sounds like I need to read Dan's blog. Thanks @stellabelle, you rock!
Also, are these your words? "I have researched the magic shapes of the happiness no one escapes." Lovely
But unlike most "caring, giving" places, it's tough too. Scammers can't get away with shit in here. This is one aspect that I particularly love since I cannot stand people who cheat others. I was cheated in the most vile way possible, so that's my Achilles Heel. That's my particular grudge, and cheating, lying, scamming men will always be on the very top of my shit list.
I do love how the ones that try tear Steemit down just for the hell of it and try rip people off get smashed enough from so many sides that they run off with their tail between their legs.
there will always be dickheads everywhere, teaching us how to love their ugly dicks and overcome the hatred inside of our own hearts.
Great post! I'm with you, I don't think the majority of people are used to this type of economy. But this is why I love Steemit, there really isn't another community like this one
Nice post @stellabelle Especially since it does open our eyes to the way of thinking and being that allowed many indigenous people to live in harmony with Earth.
Crypto-currency and its decentralization of everything (DOE, you heard it here first) has given many Hope, and it is that Hope that feeds Engine of Kindness.
full steem ahead!
Humanity evolved from decentralization, when we lived in small tribes. Everyone has forgotten.
Great post I'm definitely of the old mindset it's going to be a hard mindset to come out of
forget everything you know.
"You think that's air you're breathing?"
meaning?
When it comes to blockchains and cryptocurrency I am still very ignorant. I don't understand how it works but I do know that Steemit does and is a shining jewel pointing us to a better decentralised future. I love your outlook on it @stellabelle
Excellent post. Although I take exception at the term European commodity economy, it's not our fault the kings and queens took all of our money and land to the point that we could no longer give to others since we had nothing more left to give, haha.
Giving and being selfless.
Two amazing qualities everyone should aim for. There's this joy that comes with it - something you can't explain. Something you have to experience to understand it 😊
This helps my understanding and also inspires me to get started. I am learning so much. The people here are great. Wish I had more time to devote to this platform, it will happen. This is a great platform, I love the way it is set up. This is definitely the future.
yes, just remember: the more useful your energy is to others, the more you will gain. But you also must be consistent. It's a commitment.
Only got to glance through this but agree with what I saw so far. So very true. :-) Will be rereading it later. I actually never thought of steem in such a way but it makes perfect sense.
I am bookmarking this, since I know I will be abusing the link. You are answering all the tough questions for newbies that are (to say the least)...too excited.
Awesome work once again @stellabelle
No doubt its a great Gift Economy.....please fllow me @nazirkhyber
Beautifully thought out and put together. Steemit has so much potential, so much to offer, it really is mind boggling the reach and impact we can impart on one another from all corners of the globe. Thank you for writing this for us!
Wonderful analysis stellabelle.