As I finally have more than a few minutes to spare I will now give my answer to the OP
I enjoy learning about the history and culture of photography. I have many books, some are technical, but most are photo books, with a few philosophy of photography books (some of them don't even have any pictures!). I also have a number of art books as I find these equally important (like
@StephenM). Now that I have taken early retirement I am considering doing some proper studying of art history as I find it fascinating, and for me, lifelong learning is very important. One of the more interesting books I read recently was "On Being a Photographer" by Bill Hurn and David Jay. I also look out for interesting videos/films, and found "The Salt of the Earth" by Sabastiao Salgado to be a "must watch" and would recommend it to everyone (certainly all politicians), regardless of whether they are a photographer or not. It shows how powerful photography can be.
I also go to exhibitions whenever possible, both photography and general art. The last two I saw were
The Shape of Light at the Tate Modern, and
Landscape - Tacita Dean at the Royal Academy (though this one has now finished). Neither was just photographic but did include photography, particularly the first. Both were very thought provoking.
All this helps with my own photography. Not in a technical sense, but in order to help me understand how other people have used their passion for a subject to provide direction for their work. I still have a long way to go, but I love the journey.
What I find disappointing is that on TP it is very difficult to have discussions about art in photography without it degenerating into an "us and them" debate (and I am not talking about this thread here). I understand that there are those who think that those discussions are total b******t. I disagree, but they are entitled to their opinion and I know that for most it would be very difficult, if not impossible to change their mind. That's OK. So why do they feel the need to get involved in those discussions? There are people on here I'm sure who think film photography is a total waste of time. They don't feel the need to go into F&C and tell everyone there that they are wasting their time. I don't particularly like bird photography, so I stay away from it. Perhaps it is because those art discussions don't have a particular home. Maybe we could have a sub-forum where this could be discussed. Those who find it all arty b******s could then stay out of it and allow discussions to be had among those who enjoy it. It would be a place to discuss books, exhibitions etc. and for those looking to learn.