There is some nuance to when and how running a Bitcoin full node matters: * If you are trying to tighten relay policy, your node probably does not matter to others, because it is challenging to stop data flowing around on the internet * If you are trying to loosen relay policy, your node may matter quite a lot. The more peers it has, the more it may matter * If you are trying to enforce the consensus rules on the network, it is the economics of your node determine if it matters or not In general, running a node is not always about influencing others or the network that much, it is important to run a node and your node does matter, for you.(BitMEX Research)