The need is the urge for something that is required or desirable. It is a fundamental human drive that can be found in different levels of society around the world. Needs are a common topic in the fields of psychology, economics, sociology and philosophy. In everyday life, needs are usually differentiated from wants, which are desires or aspirations. When making a budget, it is helpful to distinguish between the two so that you can prioritize and work toward meeting your true needs.
In linguistics, the word need can be used as a verb and a noun. As a noun, it denotes an urgent basic desire pressing for satisfaction, often rooted in some physiological tension or deficiency such as hunger and thirst. It also refers to the motivation that drives a person to act to satisfy this need.
A need can be satisfied by a variety of means, including consumption and production. Consumption is the acquisition of goods and services, such as food, water or shelter. Production is the process of turning raw materials into finished products, such as cars and furniture.
Besides meeting physical needs, humans have psychological and emotional needs. These include belonging, self-esteem and a sense of security. It is important to meet these needs for a happy, productive life. When these needs are not met, it can lead to depression, anxiety and a feeling of emptiness. Some people even turn to substance use as a way of coping with unmet needs.
In the workplace, there are a number of ways to address the need that employees have for positive relationships with coworkers and supervisors. One way is to use teambuilding activities that encourage interaction and cooperation. Another way is to focus on communication and listening skills. When communicating, it is best to use “I” statements that explain how you feel and what your needs are. This way, you can avoid conflict and focus on addressing the need.
If you are unsure about whether or not something meets your need, you can ask for feedback from friends and colleagues. You can also seek advice from a professional counselor.
Defining the difference between needs and wants can be confusing. For example, a need is an item that you require for survival (food, shelter and medical care), while a want is an item that adds to your quality of life (designer clothes). When creating a budget, it can be useful to list your fixed and non-fixed needs and then pare down the wants until they are only those items that you truly value.
Need is also a verb that can be used in the present tense to form questions, negations and conditional clauses. It is an auxiliary verb that can be used with verbs such as be and have. It is also used with the past participle of a verb, such as The car need washed. It is also sometimes used with the preposition to, such as Need a ride to the airport?