Needs are things that you need for life, such as air, water, food, shelter and health care. Needs also include a desire to have something, such as a new car, clothes or a vacation. Wants are not essential to your survival, but they can improve your quality of life.
The word need comes from Middle English nede, from Old French ned. It means “necessity, necessity,” and it is the root of a number of words related to need, including exigency, emergency, needfulness and inability.
It is also the root of the verb to need, which means “to have to have.” It is usually followed by a present participle, such as The car needs washing. It is often used as an auxiliary verb in questions, negations and conditional clauses, and it has no past form like could or might.
Some people also use the word need to mean “neediness.” It is a form of deprivation, and it can be contrasted with the more positive concept of happiness. It can also be a form of depression.
Needs and wants are a common topic of discussion in biology, psychology, sociology, philosophy and economics. They also are important in marketing, as they can influence consumer behavior.
What are the differences between needs and wants?
Need is a term that refers to what you need for your physical, psychological and emotional well-being. Needs include everything from the simplest necessities to the most expensive desires.
A person’s needs are determined by his or her biological, social, and intellectual characteristics. Some of these qualities include intelligence, esteem and self-actualization.
If you are a parent, it is important to teach children how to identify their needs and understand how to satisfy them. This will help them grow up to be productive and happy adults.
According to Maslow, the hierarchy of human needs starts with basic physiological and biological needs (air, food, shelter). Next come safety needs (protection from danger), love and belongingness (affiliation, friendship, intimacy) and esteem needs (dignity, achievement, independence). Finally, there are cognitive and mental needs.
The basic need hierarchy is a model that helps people identify what they need in order to lead happy, productive lives. It has made a significant contribution to teaching and classroom management in schools.
It is based on rational identification of human needs, and it also considers the actual experiences of individuals in their everyday lives. It also provides a framework for democratic decision-making and is compatible with the capability approach to human development.
Some of the main principles of need theory are:
Needs are a natural and essential part of living; they are the foundation for all human activity. They are not imposed by external forces, but rather develop over time as a result of our experiences and choices.
When an individual is capable of meeting his or her needs, he or she will have the opportunity to move higher up the hierarchy towards self-actualization. However, a person will not achieve this level if he or she does not fulfill the lower needs in his or her life.