Unrealistic expectations is one of the problems of why Steem has a retention problem. However for those that stick around long enough, Steem eventually becomes a community they come to accept, and maybe even a daily visit. As long as the roots are strong, a tree can recover from yearly pruning. I liken Steem to that tree.
Yep, the tree analogy you use is a good way to look at Steem I think. People who do stick around tend to have a lot of fun here in many different ways once they start moving focus from pure economics.