![hand-1549145_1920.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmXpSuGsrBJx1is5RfuJeH23EwKy31wXtiEP3p4ngckgs7/hand-1549145_1920.jpg)

# Have you ever thought about why Steem was invented?

I know you probably have seen the marketing slogan, "Blog, Vote and Earn Rewards" but as you may have guessed, that slogan is superficial and doesn't really describe what's going on and why Steem was invented in the first place. To be honest, the mainstream world cannot truly comprehend the real reason, so I think that's why that trite message was agreed upon in the first place.

For all noobs on here, you must know where the word, _STEEM_ comes from. It comes from the word, _esteem_. And Ned Scott came up with this word.

https://s30.postimg.org/3w7v3y30h/steemdef.jpg

Let's take a look at the definition:

> Esteem derives from the same Latin word that gives us estimate, and back in the day, esteem, like estimate meant "to assess, or judge the value of something." That sense lingers today. When you say you hold someone in high esteem, it means you give them a high value. 
-[vocabulary.com](https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/esteem)

> an athlete who is held in great esteem by her peers
> Synonyms: account, appreciation, admiration, estimation, favor, regard, respect

If you're curious about the inventor of the platform you're typing on, read Dan's post that introduces himself. You will have a clearer idea of who he is and why he created this. Here: https://steemit.com/introduceyourself/@dantheman/daniel-larimer--co-founder-of-bitshares-steemit

Basically, I think of this platform as a way to create non-violent solutions to problems that plague humanity (this is my personal view) . So, what is violence actually? Dan has said in his blogs that he believes people commit violent acts because they can't come up with any other solutions. Violence comes in many forms and Dan has committed himself to creating non-violent solutions for humanity. Steemit is an extension of that philosophy. So, with this in mind, when you steal, plagiarize, create vast botnets to rape the reward pool, and participate in abuse, you're actually working against the very principles that created this currency.

# The dark web exists for a good reason. It's a place that has no foundations, and anyone can participate, even those who are violent and abuse others.

![stairs-1564112_1920.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmdUS4aR3JKbP8bWFVnnQSw5srXJK6wdv95cXRXPZZYzZR/stairs-1564112_1920.jpg)

The dark web accepts everything, including all that is illegal, good and bad. Abuse can thrive in that world because it has no philosophical backbone. There's no founder of the dark web who promotes non-violence. 

Steemit has a philosophical backbone. His name is Dan Larimer. You don't have to agree with his philosophy, but you should at least understand that this place was founded on the principles of non-violence. Anyone who is violent and spends most of their days abusing others will find it difficult to earn money in Steemit (unless you were here early on). In here, violence has been dis-incentivized. And yes, exploitation of children falls into the violence category. That's why child pornographers will be run off this platform. It goes against the foundations of Steem. Now with that said, you are free to exploit yourself for profit. This is one of the few places on the internet where this kind of freedom exists. Creators of all kinds are free to express themselves but the thing to know is that there exists a community, and it will decide what it likes or doesn't like. This is uncharted territory. And individuals are free also to express what they like and dislike. But exploitation and abuse of others (where the person exploited receives no rewards) is something that is antithetical to the foundations of Steem, as set forth in the writings of bytemaster.

# That's why profiting from others' work is not something that has value. 

# No value = No Steem. It's simple.

Nowhere in Steem's white paper does it state that stealing the value from someone else, then posting it on Steemit to fill your own pockets has value. It doesn't have value. It just means you're a thief whom no one will respect. That's why identity thieves will be flagged to oblivion, and won't be able to function in here.

Value comes from within people, so when people upload artistic works that they did not create, they are stealing from those creators. Creators have been abused and taken advantage of since humanity began. Steem was devised as a way to reward creators directly. Sorry, but uploading and profiting from Hollywood movies is not some great act of freedom. Go to the dark web or other sites that have no deep foundations for that. There is no value in uploading work that you didn't create. Any monkey can do that. It's not some special talent.

# Self-help guru bullshit artists and psychologists have hijacked the word, esteem.

![protection-442907_1920.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmdALVtPeuFzD6fJDiY7e15uS1RHzBcFse4aYki9zb2j89/protection-442907_1920.jpg)

When I looked for the word, _esteem_ in Google, I was immediately aware of the fact that _self-esteem_ has almost completely replaced _esteem_. This hijacking results in a couple of things. Respect for others has become out of fashion, and it appears that all the focus has been placed on the self. Self-help gurus are making a killing from this shift. Corporations are making a killing too. When all the pressure is placed on the individual, with regard to 'self-esteem', it's easier to manipulate one's deepest insecurities. There's little discussion about how to gain the respect of others, instead, it's all about your 'self-esteem'. 

Just Google the word, "esteem" to find out what I mean. The same thing happened in Pixabay when I put in the word, 'esteem'. All the image results come back with "I LOVE ME" like this:

![businesswoman-2636735_1920.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmWCERdSKHHbHtUZqytyxNT9iw59FTVMKUv4SpfTSEM1eU/businesswoman-2636735_1920.jpg)

In many ways, Steem is the opposite of what is happening in the mainstream "I love me" social media trend. You see, Zuckerberg only exploits are human vulnerabilities. He doesn't have a deep mind. He's not a deep thinker like Larimer. I would guess this is because of suffering, and in Zuck's case, the lack of suffering. 

Suffering has a big role to play in empathy. Those who have not suffered greatly, will not be bothered with solving the problems of the people who are suffering most in society right now. Those who have suffered greatly, and who are energized to create solutions will naturally develop better solutions for humanity. Facebook only cares about getting you hooked and it doesn't care how it hooks you. So naturally, it is using the human mind's weakness to hook you, which in turn creates an entire "I love me" culture. This culture spreads, then people think that is what reality is. I know, I used to be a Facebook addict.

Our short attention spans have resulted in our brains being fixated on getting notifications in a quick way. Facebook addicts don't read because Facebook is not designed that way. It's a complex issue, but it's worth thinking about: why do I get way more interaction on here than on anywhere else? I have been writing on Medium for years, and I am fairly successful on there, but I get way more comments on here. It's simple: I tend to reward comments with money......Medium cannot compete with that.

So, I have said this before but it is worthy of repeating:

# Solve the problems that affect 1,000 people and you will have 1,000 friends. Solve the problems that affect 1,000,000 people and you'll never have to worry about money again. 

hint: money is a side effect of how many lives you touch. You cannot force money into your account by stealing from others. That is the way of the old middleman ways/exploiters. The future offers new pathways. Find yourself, and you will no longer have to steal from others.

Hey, if you have not uploaded a video describing how you're changing the world, do so right now! My Steemfest2 Giveaway ends on August 31..

Cheers,
Stellabelle

![steemitsp_small.JPG](https://steemitimages.com/DQmex4e9ksQ83fTgabWkTyufZ9qvuhA3wDGGmjRodZXWW1S/steemitsp_small.JPG)