> It may be viewed as similar to asking why there is something rather than nothing.

The answer to that is a description how something happened to exist. A possible difference is that "how" asks for a full description, while "why" asks for an abbreviated description only of the relevant part, the rest assumed to be irrelevant. Experience of time a good example, because it happens differently depending on nature of time, so you can't assume nature of time to be irrelevant to the question.

It's more appropriate to ask you 'why' you do what you do, than 'how'.