We're not all "searching for ourselves". Some of us found ourselves when we were young, and others can have difficulty finding themselves even when they get past the stage when most people know who they are.
As far as this world's not being our permanent residence goes, a lot of people just figure they may as well know who/what they are and form some philosophy about life while they're here. It's apparently part of having a thinking brain - and who knows, maybe our thoughts linger in the air or go with us wherever we go once we're gone.
I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.