What motivates you to play chess and continuously get better at it? I notice that many chess player, especially kids lose their ability to motivate themselves, especially because of the highly commercialization of the game. It seems as if playing for fun today isn't very relevant, and people disappear out of the game.
There are 4 motivations to playing the game, which will vary by person:


Aesthetic appeal: Some players are motivated by compositions where paradoxical moves are required. Others are motivated by sweeping combinations or profound ideas. Recall the feeling that you had the first time you saw a smothered mate. This is the aesthetic motivation
Competitive struggle: Some people are motivated to win, to show their supremacy at the board. Or they are motivated to show their fighting spirit or tenacious defensive abilities against strong opposition. They might be motivated to win a trophy or prize money. These are the kinds of people who see chess as a sport primarily
Personal improvement: For myself, I was drawn to chess because I wanted to improve my concentration. Others are drawn because they want to develop a way to think logically that they can apply elsewhere in their lives. Others do it to develop their memory
Fun: Contrary to your post, many people just play for the fun of it! For example, when I held a chess club in my workplace during lunch, people sacrificed liberally, took big risks and (heaven forbid) had a chat whilst playing!


Each person is likely to have a combination of these motivations.