Acknowledgement

In case you didn't know, I love the manga and anime Naruto. I recently saw Bicentennial Man. Both are about the search for acknowledgement from their peers. I realized, during Bicentennial Man, that I don't understand that drive. I know people that share that drive with the main characters, but I don't get it. I can liken my inability to understand why the search for acknowledgement drives some people to my inability to understand why people worship gods. I know that people have their reasons, but none of them seem valid to me. So that small summary of thought has brought us to today, where I am wondering...... what drives me?