Life-long learner

Do people learn for its own sake? Is it intrinsically beneficial and growing your mind? Or is it the means for something else? I was thinking about that. Learning or formal learning can be a chore, and one thinks, as I used to, that it will lead somewhere and to something. I don't know why and how. After my MSW, I had better luck with applying it. Now, with my public administration degree, I'm not sure what to do about it. Koraling Lynne