I my case - and I could well imagine this to be true for many - it is not really about physics at all. It is more about the philosophical aspect, wanting to know how the universe works at a fundamental level, what exists, what is space, what is time, what does this mean for free will and consciousness. In everyday life relativity, quantum mechanics, and particle physics are as useless as being able to calculate stresses in a beam or understanding turbulence or knowing about metamaterials. From time to time I may actually need some classical mechanics or electrodynamics to understand how something works or to solve a specific problem, but unless it is part of your hobby or job non-fundamental physics beyond some basic knowledge is just as irrelevant as fundamental physics in most peoples life. Fundamental physics and cosmology on the other hand fills in a certain sense the same spot that religion does for other people.