Member-only story
“The Shortcut That Stole My Peace.”
"The Mistake I Made on Medium for Followers — And What It Taught Me"
A few days ago, when I had just published two or three stories on Medium, I made a mistake.
In an effort to gain followers, I began commenting on other members’ stories without actually reading them. At the time, I didn’t think I was doing anything wrong. I wasn’t even sure it would help. But to my surprise, within 10 to 15 days, I had gained around 150 followers.
But something strange happened after I crossed the 100-follower mark. Instead of feeling excited or proud, I started feeling anxious. A kind of sadness crept over me. There was no joy in seeing those numbers go up—just regret. I began to realize that what I was doing wasn’t right.
That’s when I decided to stop. I told myself, even if I keep gaining followers this way, it won’t bring me real peace. And what’s the point of growth if your conscience is restless?
So, I stopped leaving empty comments.
Two days later, one member called me out. They commented on my story saying that leaving comments without reading is a form of scamming. I immediately apologized and told them the truth: I had already stopped doing it. Thankfully, they understood.
