Now, with rewards 50:50-ish, you don't even have to self-vote in order to make your investment pay.
You make a good point. I have been self-voting from the start but am thinking about ditching it. I can use that VP elsewhere and gain as much or more if it's done wisely.
I stopped self-voting soon after joining Steemit, because I realised that my self-votes were worthless. But if your self-vote is worth a significant amount, it could be seen as a reward for your investment of time and money.