I think likes in general is a tricky thing - I normally don't go rund and give a lot of complements as the likes could be an equivalent to. When we invest a lot of time and energy we get a disharmony if the likes/upvotes doesn't reach our expectations. Steemit is a huge experiment in that sense - mixing likes and money. I think it is interesting and have lots of potential for people to co-create and bond but I think the system is bound to create a lot of unhappiness a jealousy too. Thanks for bringing up an interesting topic!