Barcelona Statues on the Fountains

I have a friend who photographs the way locals use their city but I enjoy watching how tourists use cities. I was attracted to the almost shadowy appearance of the statues on the fountains in the Plaça Catalunya when I noticed some people stopping to have their pictures taken while others just passed by. It makes me think about how puzzled I am when I hear people say "We did Barcelona and then we did Paris...etc.". What do we mean by "did"? Is it just checking off places as if it were a shopping list? Would they get more out of their adventure if they stopped and took time to just be part of the scene? Or is this a personality thing and some are just more comfortable checking off the sights and adding them to their catalogue of things they have seen in their lives? Do they incorporate these experiences or do they compartmentalize them? And do they get more or less out of their travels than those who are not the checking things off? What about the non-doer travelers, how do they differ in their experiences? I don't want to judge, I am just exploring the topic, we each walk in our own shoes and i have a bunch of blisters! Any thoughts about this?