You hold critical thinking in high esteem because you believe it is the path to attain your chosen ideal of Truth, in OP's words. But critical thinking itself leads one to realize that critical thinking alone cannot determine what you ought to do, it can only help you achieve a goal that was set in other ways. It's only a tool to help you get where you want, it doesn't tell you where you ought to be nor guarantees that you will get there. — leo

Why would you think that I'm doing anything like searching for what I ought to do?

Re critical thinking, I simply see philosophy as a gobbledygooky waste of time without it. It wouldn't at all be something I'm interested in in that case. But it's kind of like how I like fiction to be imaginative or fantastical and not normatively realistic or soap-opera like/just straight drama. I'm just not interested in realist fiction.

Why would you think that I'm doing anything like searching for what I ought to do?

Re critical thinking, I simply see philosophy as a gobbledygooky waste of time without it. — Terrapin Station

What do you do philosophy for then? There is something you want to attain with it. If you don't do it to help you decide what you ought to do to attain what you want, then is it something you do just for the sake of it because you like doing it and practicing your critical thinking? But then I'm thinking that if you like to practice your critical thinking it's because there is something else you want to attain with it and that you believe you can attain with it, which may be merely feeling good, but then feeling good would be what the OP refers to as your chosen ideal of Truth.

What do you do philosophy for then? — leo

Some reasons--not an exhaustive list: I naturally think in a philosophical way. I'm intrigued/amused by the often ridiculous (in my opinion) things that people say under the guise of philosophy, kind if like how I'm intrigued/amused by circus side shows. I see it as a sort of mental exercise (as well as writing exercise).