Don't we all want the same thing

When I was young, single digits and some teen. I felt compelled to claim my knowledge. Moreover, I tried to make sure people around me knew that I had either seen or heard of the subject we were participating in, such as a movie, band, or book. I remember the desperation and the time that was involved in this effort. But, look where it got me.
Yesterday, one of my countless children was trying to tell me about a part of a song as it was playing and for the entire song he waited, verbally, for the moment he was shooting for. Okay, so it's either universal or a fucked up genetic mutation. Either way, to whom are we trying to prove ourselves and look so gosh darn cool?