Amen. Sometimes people are startled when I tell them this, but I spend as much time (if not sometimes more time) reading other people’s stories on Medium than writing my own.

It’s not strictly a reciprocal aspiration that makes me do that. It’s a desire to be a genuine part of a community.

But of course the effect can be to build more of a readership. People are more likely to read stories by writers who consistently engage with them. That’s just human nature.

My journey on Medium over the past few years has been as much about learning as it has been about writing or promoting writing.

I’m not going to tag a bunch of people here, but I could tag many of the same people you already have and cite them as huge influences on me – as teachers.

I’m a far better writer and thinker because of many of the people you tagged, plus a few you didn’t. And you know what’s nice about that? There are always always cool new writers on Medium waiting for you to discover them.