"Alright, fine, so they do care about riddles. But as a means to an end, not just for their own sake. Even questions like 'why am I here' have a practical purpose, since it would give them some idea of what to actually do if they could figure it out. When they make art, it's because they want to express something or make a part of themselves immortal. When they study science, it's usually because they want to better themselves or humanity in general. They work against each other, yeah, and they tear themselves down almost as much as they build themselves up, but they actually accomplish things, because they're not afraid to be part of something bigger than themselves and they have actual goals beyond staving off boredom for another thousand years."