Why Do People Write In Medium When They Don’t Earn Big Money?
Answer: Freedom of expression, lack of controlling entity, and ultimately … HAPPINESS.
Freedom of expression and lack of a controlling entity. That is it, really. I think these 2 points explain why people leave a high-paying job for a lower-paying one or even embarking on a freelancing career.
Freedom of expression and zero presence of a direct controlling entity are anchor tenets to one important concept we treasure. That concept is Happiness.
Happiness comes from saying what we want, without personal attacks.
I read several Medium stories, touting $X of earnings per story, or over Y number of months. I salute all Heroes and Heroines on this platform. To be clear, I applaud their grit and commitment towards directed success.
I know it is difficult.
Our eyes see the viral story and filter the rest. Okay, maybe Medium filters the rest as well. But hey, quantity leads to quality. How many stories have they written to produce one Grandiose Masterpiece?
Hundreds or Thousands is my guess.
And many of these pieces are not worth the effort from a financial rewards standpoint. I mean, convince me. $1.00 plus for an hour’s work? I think Carrefour pays more in terms of time.
Therefore, the drive to continue goes beyond monetary consideration. Those who focus on the easy big bucks would have been filtered out through time.
What could be those drivers of commitment if not for money?
For one, I think it has to do with the freedom of expression. Freedom is a big word and is a treasured attribute in social science rooted in the foundations of Democracy.
I am not going to touch on social media censorship or the nuances of the word definition here.
Our focus is to produce a story to say what we want based on what we believe in.
We have been schooled the entire time since the Dawn of Mankind in terms of WHAT NOT to say.
- Do not say this in front of Uncle Joe. He will be upset.
- Do not say this in front of our prospect. We have to close the deal!
- Do not present this in the Management update session. Our Budget is at stake.
Throw in office politics and fragile household relationships where we have to remember the messy web of enemy-friend, interest-based interactions, and we would rather retire in the woods.
Life has gotten complex and can be littered with invisible landmines.
Paying attention to what not to say can translate to no saying what we want to say.
Elder: Pay attention and not say such things in front of Uncle Joe.
Me: What if I really want to tell him that?
Elder: Just shut up.
And so I decided to write this story and say what I want to Uncle Joe through my words. Of course, I pray hard that he does not have a Medium account, and he is not one of my followers.
Uncle Joe — Seriously, I know you love your mustache. Please take care of your personal hygiene. GOD DAMN IT. There are flies around your Moustache!
Okay, I said it. I am leaving his Last Name a mystery to protect my ass. Even if the correct Uncle Joe reads my story, I can say that Joes are all over. Weak defense, I know. Better than none.
The second point is rather straightforward and has been woven into the story above. We have to be honest with ourselves. No one loves to be told what to do (ALL THE TIME), no matter how obedient we are.
We want to have our own way. I want to read about money and master it even if my parents believe it corrupts the soul.
I respect that.
That said, I am happier to see a fatter wallet. I am happier when my investments go well. I am happy when financial markets roar back from bear to bull markets.
I am happier when I do what I want without being told what to do or not to do.
And I think that is why a majority of the writers are still here in Medium. It is a lofty goal to a Top Writer and has our stories curated for further viral distribution.
We are here because we have the freedom to express our opinions the way we want to.
And no one tells us what to write or what to publish daily. We write what we want, and we choose to publish at a publication of our choice.
This is like a breath of fresh air coming from our ability to dictate our own life.
I think that is why people are here even if they earn $1.00 per story. I mean, it is great.
Uncle Joe has never put a dollar into my pocket for the past 20 years. Today, I hope he would indirectly do so through my story’s readership on Medium.
Thank you, Uncle Scrooge.
There Is Money And There Is Freedom!
Aldric
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About the Author:
As a content contributor, I write my observations from daily life and my business exposure.
Because our life experience is the bedrock of our unique perspectives.
As a Consultant by training, I believe in making the complex simple.
Because simplicity adds value.
And with clarity — We grow.
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