What is praxis and why bother?

Before delving into the minutiae of this thing I call praxis, I should probably ask myself, “why engage in this thing called praxis at all?”

Praxis, then, requires definition.

From Merriam-Webster:

praxis
noun
prax·​is ˈprak-səs 
plural praxes ˈprak-ˌsēz 

• 1 : ACTION, PRACTICE: such as
  • a exercise or practice of an art, science, or skill
  • b customary practice or conduct
• 2 practical application of a theory

I’ll answer my question with another question. Why would we do any of the things in this fairly standard definition from Merriam-Webster?

Because we value either the doing of them or the benefits derived from the doing of them or both. At root, there’s the question of value. We tend to avoid doing much of anything that has no value to us.

So now I can get to an answer that isn’t much of an answer at all really. I engage in praxis because I value the doing of it. As it turns out, I value it fairly highly. I value it both for the enjoyment I derive from the doing of it, and for what I perceive the benefits of doing it to be.

Yet, on that basis, I cannot recommend praxis to anyone else but for the possibility they may derive enjoyment from the doing of it. While I perceive benefits, I have no evidence of causality, only lived experience, anecdote. I’m barely a case study. I should hope my claims about it are far and few between.