Mod Burnout... Why Are We Surprised?

The meat grinder which is SteamGifts Moderation continues to take it's toll. Those Mods who have the most experience, the most dedication, the most exemplary work ethic, the most love for this site, they are the ones most likely to burn out and leave. I am not talking about those Mods who have been abrasive and difficult to deal with in the past. I am talking about those who were truly a blessing to this site. Those who served the Community well and sunk so much time and energy into making this site a great place to hang out. With the love these individuals had for all of us, what could possibly drive them away?

It was us.

Quite frankly, we have been toxic and abusive toward our Moderators. We complain about what they're not doing. We complain about what they are doing. We complain about how they should be doing things our way, and then when they actually do things our way, we complain about how it should have been done better. We spam Support with tickets and then complain about a lack of responsiveness. When a Mod requests something of us, we argue endlessly and then complain about delays. We pester the Mods at all hours of the day, posting abuse and demands for attention on their Steam walls. We complain about them, insult them, and libel them in the forum and discussion sections. Some of us even go so far as to gang up on them with friends, perhaps because it is easier to bully someone when you have help. Is it any wonder that such behavior takes it toll on the Support Staff?

Our Moderators are volunteers. A handful of them serve thousands of SG users. They take time out of their day to serve the SG Community in exchange for virtually nothing in return. They do this because they want to help make SG a better place to be. For every person who shows gratitude, however, there are perhaps twenty or thirty telling the Mods what horrible people they are and that they should just leave. There is a long list of Mods and Supports who finally reached the point where they could not handle the hate anymore and did exactly that. They left. Some of SG's most well-known members have also called it quits. These were people who were regular contributors and a positive influence on the site, and now they are gone.

So, I have to ask the question. What have we gained with all the hate? What benefit has been achieved by spreading misery? Instead of sharing the best of ourselves, we have chosen to share the worst. Instead of building people up, we have been busy tearing them down. If we are so concerned about what a miserable world we live in, why have we striven so ardently to make things as bad as possible? That is a question each of us must answer for him or herself.

Life is difficult enough without allowing Hate a home in our hearts.

P.S.(I use "us" and "we" because I am part of the SG Community. While I may not have taken part in some of the things others have done, I bear responsibility for my own failures in being as helpful or as positive as I might have been. It is up to me to improve myself.)
P.P.S.(Thanks to all of you who have expressed support. I have edited the OP's title for clarity should this thread continue to be necro'd.)