Ask HN: What compels you to submit something for users?

I was thinking about this earlier today, do people post something to get the points or they want HN to be an actual news site for learning. The epiphany came when I posted a link for a WSJ about the top 10 American Kennel Club breeds. After about 10 minutes of thinking, I realized I didn't want HN to be a place where this stuff was promoted (the link seemed liked it belong more on Reddit).

How I see HN is my news feed into tech and science - it doesn't have to be the most sensational news you see on CNN nowadays. I just want a place where I can learn from the users and the insightful observations they have.

My question is this: How do HN submitters find that right balance between an article that is both popular and insightful?