This is a topic I want to explore far more than I have put in this post, but this is the start of it so perhaps it will jump start something far more robust putting out into the ether.
A man with no aspiration sees dreams as arrogance. - Andrew Schulz
Why?
Why pursue knowledge past the requirements for my job or career path? There's a quick and easy answer to that one; so that you aren't stupid and narrow in your decisions and interpretation of events. There are issues with simple answers to complex questions, however. You run into problems when thinking about the totality of the potential versus the realized knowledge of mankind then add in how we are unable to truly fathom how vast either category is. Then we add onto that the unknown unknown. This is the concept that we have no idea what we don't even know to ask about or question yet. The amount of information in the universe is seemingly limitless. For instance, how vast is the universe, really? We have an idea, to an extent, but in reality we are just guessing and that applies to a lot of what people may call "settled science". Science is the process of questioning what is known and performing experiments to either prove or disprove the theories. With that much knowledge missing, we could all be considered stupid in a century or two and are likely to be seen that way. Think about how we perceive those who were certain the sun revolved around the Earth. So no, learning isn't only to ensure you aren't stupid, that's too shallow a reason (to a point). We learn because we have to and we are driven to. We learn because it's necessary to our survival and ability to continue in this life without being completely overwhelmed and unable to move forward. We are curious by default and necessity. Babies crawl around and coo, they reach and grab, they look around and try to see new things. Toddlers push boundaries and throw fits. School age children play complex games and attempt to talk about ideas or facts with their peer groups. Adolescents and teens try and talk about complex ideas and they explore relationships with the opposite sex. All of this is exploring and learning. It is a hunger both literally and figuratively. It works on the same circuit your hunger does, basically meaning if you aren't seeking knowledge you're starving yourself in that realm. Embrace that instinct and it will serve you well. It will keep your mood up and help you find purpose and meaning in your life. It will help you become a well rounded contributor in your employment, your family, and your community. Learn to feel better, work better, love better. You will be an asset to everyone around you and that seems worthwhile to me.
We judge and condemn people in the past by today's morals, never imagining that people in the future may do the same to us.