I wrestled with it for a while too. :)
I literally ground out my stake and I know you know it wasn't easy when we started either. I want to support hard working minnows, but I also want to do it with a stake that matters. It is a dilemma. At this time voting bots are responsible for less than 2% of the reward pool.
If someone is selling their vote and I like my content. I'm buying it, but I get there are different points of view.
Hmmm. less than 2%. Well, it FEELS like a lot more, as I remember I used to get gobs and gobs of votes, and money came a little easier.
But I still think I'll do smaller bids. I don't find any harm in it.