When No One Is Listening

By: Stuart Knight (Founder and CEO) | November 13, 2025

Years ago, I remember reading a statistic that blew me away that said out of all the people who consume content on Youtube, only 1% of all users were responsible for uploading videos.  Isn’t that staggering?  That means 1% are responsible for the millions of videos posted every day, while the other 99% consume it.  For the past twenty years, I have been one of those creators, and to be honest, I sometimes find myself wondering why the hell I ever started in the first place.

I say that because even out of that 1%, only a tiny few receive tangible rewards for doing it.  When I say that, I mean rewards such as receiving kind comments, gaining new followers or getting to the point where enough people subscribe that you can convert your efforts into a side income.  And I am not part of that elite group.  Now let’s be clear.  I’m a big boy, and no one is forcing me to create content, or let alone post it.  To me, complaining about not getting a response I may seek would be synonymous with a famous actor complaining about people asking for their autograph!  What did you think was going to happen?

And although I am not famous, I can relate to what that celebrity is going through on some level.  While I don’t think they should whine about the foreseeable results that occur when you become a successful entertainer, I understand how they would like to go out for dinner just once without having to take a selfie with a stranger.  In that same vein, I am not foolish enough to expect any of my videos to land me the next interview with Oprah, but I do often find myself wondering why something I worked so hard on didn’t receive much, if any traction.

After giving this years of thought, the answer became obvious.  We simply have become a culture of the over consumed.  The time it would take to leave a comment, or hit the like button, is time that could have been used consuming more content, so why would a person bother?  To be honest, I probably fall into that same category from time to time.  Sure, I make the effort to offer positive feedback on the content I enjoy, but I too can just as easily keep scrolling as much as the next person.

The part that gets me though is the fact that, compared to so much of what you see out there, the content I post is actually meant to have a significant impact on the lives of others.  However, it’s often the meaningless stuff that gets the attention.  If I posted something such as a cute picture of my kids, I would receive hundreds of positive reactions, but if I post an article that took me half a day to write about an important life topic, I’d be lucky to get one or two likes.

Now, before I go any further,  I realize this could be misinterpreted as nothing more than a content creator's personal “winge session”.  While that may be my personal blindspot, allow me to get to the point of why I at least think I’m writing this piece.    

Like everything else I put out there, I am hoping to get you thinking.  Specifically, I want to get you thinking about the importance of doing something because you think it’s important, and not because you want to look important.  I used to post articles and videos thinking, “people are going to love this.  They will be so moved!”  I could already see the flurry of people telling me how special I was, and how I had changed their life.  And of course, within a couple of days after releasing it to the masses, I would be left wondering if anyone even saw it.  A week later, I would feel compelled to best myself by posting something even more “profound”, only to discover I was again not the grand messiah I was aiming to be.  

After experiencing such a thing repeatedly, one is left at a crossroad wondering whether they should continue this weekly charade knowing what the outcome will be, or to spitefully give it up.  Well, since you are reading these words right now, you are fully aware of what decision I made when faced with it.  However, I'm happy to say after making that decision, a lightness took over, and I found the freedom to finally do the thing simply for the thing itself, without being attached to outcomes.  

Conscious parents can relate to this, knowing they show up each and every day to what is most likely the most thankless job on planet earth.  In fact, I kid you not when I say that I was just chastised by my daughter for not teaching her grade five math correctly.  The fact that I once was a university math tutor is of no relevance to her.  And yet, the love I have for my daughter is the only thing of relevance, which is why I do the thing (helping with her math homework), without the need for personal accolades.

That’s what it’s all about.  Do the thing because it matters to you, so that you are unphased by the stuff that doesn’t matter. 

Now hit the like button damn it!  

Much love,

Stuart

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