To be honest, you're not actually getting money. You're getting STEEM... and STEEM can be converted (and held) when you "power up" in the form of STEEM POWER, which means you're investing STEEM back into the system.
The only time it becomes worth anything, is once you power down, and transfer it away. So if you never power down, and if you never transfer it away, then it sits and grows here, which makes your upvotes worth more and more to people that you "like" on the system.
It's very possible (and even appreciated) if you never take money or value from the system. So don't leave. Enjoy your stay. You're vital to this community in your own unique way. No one is force-ably paying you, and you don't have to take anything if you don't want to...
The entire core purpose of steemit is not to "make money" eventhough it seems that it is.. It's #1 goal is to be a freedom of speech community. It's #2 goal is to award the people who contribute to it.
If you're here for the #1 goal, then you're here for the #1 reason the whole thing was built for in the first place. Welcome!
P.S. Unlike any other book someone may have read. This book is alive and breathing. :)