Why does anyone learn anything? An intellectual pay-off is, to many, just as valuable as the practical (and ultimately, presumably, economic) pay-off that comes

Why does anyone learn anything? An intellectual pay-off is, to many, just as valuable as the practical (and ultimately, presumably, economic) pay-off that comes from learning a new skill. That might be seen by many others to be "learning for learning's sake", but any research could potentially lead to wider benefits. That said, for die-hard-pragmatists, it seems reasonable to assume that learning PLT might make one a better programmer.