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Perhaps a bit more light should be shed on other unique ways one can contribute to rank up without merit concerns as this.
There is no unique ways to earn merits or rank up without being merit conscious. As a lower ranked member, you will get merited when you provide quality posts and you will produce quality posts when you are merit conscious. It is not bad to be merit conscious, what is bad is begging for merits.
Earn your merits in whatever legitimate way you want and don't listen to the people that propagates the merit fishing philosophy.
You cannot rank up without merits, so make posts that will attract merits even if they have to call it merit fishing. If you sleep, your account will sleep also.