Why reach for the stars?

We have the habit of motivating people to reach for the stars. Some various quotes and stories focus on a particular point. The moral of this approach is to ask people to aim higher. We always try to get better marks, increase our targets and earn money. Success is always measured in numbers. However, there is more to life than just figures. Humans have to adapt many skills to survive. The subjects we learn in school and the marks we get lose its essence after a period. We move on to more significant pursuits in search of something bigger. It makes me wonder if something is fundamentally wrong. If we keep looking at the stars, when will we look at the earth and its inhabitants? If we keep chasing numbers, when will we learn to be a human? Why reach for the stars when the world is vast? Let me know your thoughts, and I do hope that this is not my last post.