I think that people who are passionate about what they do can often go through this kind of philosophical questions or moments.
Personally, and this is only my opinion, I think that most of photography (as I do it myself) is futile. When you think about it, in general not too many people care about your photos and even yourself (myself) will get bored with them a few minutes after you've taken the time to develop them, and process them into your best photos ever. Post them on a forum once or twice, have a few people check them out, and it's already old news. So I guess most of the pleasure is in the making, the expectation of a good result, doing something hard, and then when it's done....it's gone in an instant (and really no one gives a damn), and you're looking forward to the next best photo you will make. It's a bit like waiting to receive that new cool thing you ordered. It always seems much more cool before it arrives, right?
Sometimes you get bored and a new idea, or a new piece of equipment can relaunch some interest.
It's good to have some other hobbies, some other things to put your energy into, ways to distance yourself from a single thing for a while. My own other hobby is woodworking and it is there where I feel I can actually create things that matter, somewhat. I make things for others as gifts, and I make things for myself that will be useful to me for much longer than new photos. And it doesn't rely on pre-existing scenes. Sometimes I get really into car work as well and forget about everything else.
Then sometimes I start obsessing over photography again, renew the interest a little...ups and downs.
I'd say that the photos I make of my kids have way more value in the end than my best landscapes or panoramas, even to others, even though they are not as sophisticated, hard to make, and don't require nearly the same amount of work and processing. They are important to me, important to other family members, and will be important to them as they grow up. My other types of photos might get a few ooohs and aaahs from a few people for a few minutes and will never be looked at again.
In the end, in this time and age, I think that the photography that we do as amateurs, no matter how good or experienced, is mostly useless and pointless (I really don't put family photos in that basket though), at least to others. What matters is the process and how you enjoy that. Maybe photography is also what can motivate someone to go out there and enjoy nature, or maybe a good reason to join a group, meet people and make friends or whatever. Why do people enjoy playing a sport, and even train hard, even when they know they'll never be a world champ?
Photography is also a hobby that doesn't really isolate you. You won't disappear into a workshop for hours on end. You can enjoy it while being out there with your kids, family, or friends.
I don't know if this sounds a bit bleak, but I don't think so. I just feel I'm aware of the importance (or lack thereof) of what I do and do not feel trapped by it. If it bores me, I won't do it for a while and will do something else. We do tend to obsess over things that don't matter that much, if at all. It's a bit comical to see all of the arguments over hardware and minute details in photo forums. Just don't get frustrated with yourself. If you don't feel it, you don't *have* to take photos.