Cas,
Don't apologise for posting a thread such as this. It is something I too have pondered on myself, from time to time.
I have always had a deep interest in history, especially military history. Social history used to bore me to tears; I had no interest in knowing how people lived in days gone by. Well, how times change, as they say. Since being bitten by the genealogy bug, I now have a greater appreciation of how our ancestors lived; my interests have widened considerably into not only how they lived, but also their customs, attire, etc. I also like to put my ancestors into context; that is, compare their lifespans with events in history.
Additionally, like a lot of you have said, I have developed a better understanding of English geography. I also have built up better researching skills, and a good knowledge of where to look for what.