Why run a node?

There are many reasons to run a node, running a node is typically characterized as "doing your part to support the network" but there are some selfish reasons to run a node as well like privacy, security and censorship resistance.

Privacy

Whenever you broadcast a transaction on Bitcoin you are connecting to a node. You are trusting that node will not censor you and you are linking metadata like your IP address to that particular transaction. When you use your own node you can broadcast the transaction privately and don't have to worry about censorship at the node level.

Support the network

Running a full archival node helps to support the network by helping other nodes sync the blockchain. You can also verify transactions for other users on the network who aren't running their own node.

Education

Running a node is a great way to learn about how Bitcoin works. Understanding how to run a node can help you better form opinions about past and current controversies happening in the Bitcoin.