You forgot one high-leverage component in this kind of inquiry: ask the question "why" not one but five times or more.
Just before reading the above, I was looking at instructions for building a laser show from cheap parts and the Arduino microcontroller I've been playing with lately.
Why - because I'm getting an interest lately in programming that affects the physical world.
Why - because, in turn, I believe that will broaden my horizon as a programmer.
Why - because I think learning about programming is one of the more important things anyone interested in the origins and improvement of thinking can learn. (Post about this coming sometime in the next few weeks.)
Why - because I want to improve my thinking in general. Which is also the reason I stopped here after I figured I had collected enough information about the laser stuff.
Why - because my thinking is my highest leverage tool in dealing with the world.
(ETA: to be quite honest, another reason is "because it's fun", but that tends to apply to a lot of the things I do.)
(ETA: to be quite honest, another reason is "because it's fun", but that tends to apply to a lot of the things I do.)
I would (presumptuously) bet that that was a rather more important causal factor than the higher-level goals you listed at first. Not that there's anything wrong with that (no, seriously).
It has been claimed on this site that the fundamental question of rationality is "What do you believe, and why do you believe it?".
A good question it is, but I claim there is another of equal importance. I ask you, Less Wrong...
What are you doing?
And why are you doing it?