A need is an essential requirement, something that you cannot do without. For example, you need food and shelter to survive, which are both considered necessities. Similarly, you need air to breathe, which is a necessary resource. The term “need” can also be applied to an emotional state, such as feeling loved or being safe. The most widely known academic model of needs was proposed by psychologist Abraham Maslow in 1943. His theory proposes that people have a hierarchy of psychological needs, which include basic physiological or lower order needs such as food, water and safety (e.g. shelter) through to higher order needs such as belonging, esteem and self-actualization. People tend to spend most of their resources (time, energy and finances) attempting to satisfy these basic needs before the higher order needs become meaningful.
In addition to the academic study of needs, which reached its zenith in the 1950s, there are several practical applications of the concept. For example, in a business setting, you might talk about the need for salespeople or support staff to meet the demand of customers. You might also talk about the need to develop new products or to find ways to improve existing ones. Moreover, in a personal context, the idea of need can be useful in helping you identify your priorities and create a plan for meeting them.
The Need to Feel Connected and Loved
A primary need in relationships is the need for connection and love. Those who are more able to articulate their need for these feelings are more likely to experience a healthy and fulfilling relationship. However, these needs can be difficult to fulfill if there is a lack of trust and/or a clash of values between partners.
The Need to Be Respected
Another need that can be overlooked in the pursuit of happiness is a person’s need to be respected. This need can be met by being treated fairly and with dignity, as well as by embracing other values such as integrity. However, this need can be a challenge to meet in some settings, such as when children are raised by parents with different views on money and the role of money in society.
The Need to Save Money
There is a difference between needs and wants when it comes to planning a budget. Needs are expenses that you need to pay for in order to survive, such as food and shelter, while wants are things that you would like to have but do not require in order to live. It is important to distinguish between the two so that you can make smart spending decisions.
This article explores when to use the definite article (the) and when to use the indefinite article (a or an). It also provides examples of countable and uncountable nouns and explains how to tell whether a noun is singular or plural. This information can help you determine which articles to use in your own writing.