We come closer to the core of the matter when we speak of the analysis of concepts and presuppositions. Following an idea to its logical conclusion can be a surprising exercise.
Most people know very little about the subject.
Some think it goes beyond practical concerns, others are intimidated, thinking the topic out of their intellectual reach. The apparent daunting nature of the subject matter and the mistaken perception of impracticality may seem reason enough for dismissing the investigation of philosophy. Rather than exempting us from the consequences of ideas, failure to be aware of them makes us their unsuspecting prey. In a sense, philosophy is more the development of a skill than an acquisition of a body of knowledge, in that it evaluates arguments and assesses presuppositions and truth claims. We have, after all, no choice in whether to have a belief system, but the choice, rather, is what to believe, and how cogent a system we are to have.