Well said, @chessmonster.
I personally worked very hard to get to my level. I wish I was a little more consistent lately but a good portion of my day is dedicated elsewhere now. :(
That being said, I never have had expectations of earnings or attention. Frankly, I have no idea WHY I have as many followers as I do. The ONLY thing I have any control over is my content and how I interact with people. It seems that a huge amount of people are talking about flag wars. I haven't seen them because I choose not to. I am better than the petty B.S. The people I choose to follow are better than the B.S.

I love this experiment of Steemit.

@barrydutton - my biggest recommendation for you is to get rid of the mindset of disappointment because it's like a snake that begins to eat its own tail. It will keep chewing and swallowing itself until it's very small. Don't do that.