The pursuit of nothing

I have been noticing a tendency for people to pursue things that are out of their reach entirely. They devote vast amounts of time, energy, and resources to obtain things, which in most cases, simply can't be had. Not only that, in most cases, what they seek is detrimental to them anyway. Oh, that's a big word, maybe, it's just plain bad for them. Yet they continue to beat their heads against a wall, in the vain hopes of attaining it. Seems silly, but I have done it myself. I have made a promise to myself to not chase after things that I can never have, it's a futile excercise.