It's almost like we don't value it for itself, but what it's worth in "real" money.
I think we keep converting it to dollars because that is the only way we know its value or how much it is worth, and not just because we do not value Bitcoins for itself. Just like all other currencies, I think it needs to be converted to other major currencies for comparison and contrast to know how much our currencies are worth in the world market and to assess how well or badly it is currently doing.
Everyone has different needs and point of view for such cases, some sell bitcoin when the value goes up to get some money and do some shopping, others may just want to sell bitcoin at a top price to buy back for investment. Turning bitcoins back into dollars does not mean we do not assign values to bitcoins exactly the opposite.