Is it a blessing or a curse to be moved to great lengths by a piece of art, music or any other purely creative endeavor? Are purely creative works wastes of time or truly key to the survival of the species?
As for the survival of the species, it seems to me our stunning lack of capacity for learning from past mistakes poses the greatest threat. . . and I'm not optimistic that art can save us from ourselves.
Still, if you ask me whether life would be worth living without the arts, that's an easy "no" for me.