Choosing an aperture

Hello,

I am relatively new to photography but am learning more every day.

I have a question on how most people select an aperture.  I fully understand the ways aperture impacts depth of field.  My question is my camera has 10 or so different f/stops.  Suppose I want a large depth of field.  How do I (or most photographers) choose between f/11 vs f/16 vs f/22 vs f32?  Is there really a difference? If not, it would seem like you would choose the lowest f/stop that provides the depth of field you want such as to require the quickest shutter speed (given a certain exposure).

Do most photographers actually use all the f/stops or select from one or two for low depth of field and then one or two when wanting higher depth of field?

Thanks,

Scott