Great read and perspectives here buddy! I believe that one of the fee benefits of the bear market and the low Steem price is the fact that it has allowed for a better distribution of the Steem Power which also impact the reward pool. This is slowly moving power and influence from whales to those with less and which have prove to be the value of the ecosystem, the community. In addition, those that sign up now are less likely to be thinking of “get rich quick” and instead leveraging the protocol for social engagement and networking. These are slowly building the foundation of value creation as we gain our footing for the future, in my opinion.
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The bear market most certainly affects people's behaviour and attitude. Just like you said, people joining now are less likely to have that "get rich quick" mentality, which obviously serves us better in the long run.
However, we also have users who've been here for a long period of time, many of them well-established, who becomes inactive during the lows. From ~4 posts per day to 0 in an instant. The value of the cryptocurrency seems to go hand in hand with motivation for many people.
I've seen it many times before. As soon as the price goes up, these people are coming back to produce more content than ever before. It's a shame if you ask me, because even though I obviously would love to see high rewards and huge payouts, these people seems to have missed the vital parts about this place. The community aspect. That we have the opportunity to move mountains as long as we work together.