The Concept of Need

The concept of need is a major theme in philosophy, biology, psychology, sociology, economics and politics. It also appears in a variety of business books and articles. The term is closely related to want and desire, which are more subjective concepts that may be defined in a variety of ways. Some definitions of need define the basic necessities as food, water and shelter, while others are more subjective and include socialization, self-esteem and achievement.

The most commonly known academic model of need is Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, which argues that people require a series of basic physiological or lower order psychological needs (e.g., food, water, safety) to be satisfied before higher order needs such as belonging and esteem can be fulfilled. People spend a significant amount of time, energy and money on satisfying these needs.

Other academic models of need are based on the concept of scarcity, which posits that a resource will be scarce if it is a limited commodity or if demand for it exceeds supply. In the latter case, the availability of a scarce resource can be determined by examining historical data regarding demand and supply for the particular resource in question. The idea of scarcity has also been applied to social issues, such as the need for clean air and water, in which case it is important to consider whether the resources are available and how much demand there is, both of which are relevant to supply.

Plural countable nouns and uncountable nouns often need an article when they refer to a specific group or subset of the noun, such as one of its many varieties or the occurrence of a particular form. For example, when talking about a car you need to use the article “a”, while with the word exam you do not. However, the words love and rain do not need an article because they are not countable nouns.

A personal sense of need can vary widely, depending on one’s financial situation, the role of money in one’s life and one’s family history. For example, if one’s parents were financially well-adjusted and taught their children strong messages about money, then it is likely that the individual will have clarity and a healthy understanding of what money means to them. In contrast, if someone grew up witnessing financial dysfunction or experiencing money arguments with their parents, then it is more likely that they will have uncertainty and a flawed view of the role of money in their lives.

The term need can also be used to refer to a particular need or requirement that has been imposed on an individual by another person, such as the need for a passport or the need to meet visa requirements. This type of need is often referred to as an imposition or a power-based need. It is important for individuals to understand the difference between this type of need and a legitimate need imposed by an authority figure, such as a school or government agency.

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