A need is a person’s desire or requirement to acquire something. The need for food, water and shelter are necessities; without them, a person cannot survive. A need for self-esteem and belonging is a psychological need. A need for creativity can be satisfied by taking classes or investing in art supplies.
A personal needs assessment is an important step in determining the best ways to fulfill one’s needs. A needs assessment involves identifying and listing all the possible experiences that can satisfy a need. A good place to start is by examining past experiences that have made you feel happy or unhappy. Once you’ve completed a list of these experiences, analyze them to determine which ones are based on actual needs.
When you’re writing or speaking, it’s important to use articles correctly. The articles a, an and the indicate whether a noun is specific or general. Using them properly makes your writing and speech sound more clear and correct.
Having a need for something doesn’t mean you must have it. Having a need does not prevent you from wanting things that are not necessary for your survival. For example, a person might have a need for a new car or a new computer, but that doesn’t prevent him from also having a need for a vacation.
Need is a Latin word that means want or requirement. It is often used in English as a synonym for desire, although it can also be viewed as a more formal and impersonal term that expresses an imperative demand: I have a need to know if the plan will work. The words need and necessity are similar, but need is more emotionally appealing and elicits stronger empathy than necessity: I have a need for your help.
The most well-known academic theory of need was proposed by psychologist Abraham Maslow in 1943. His theory states that people have a hierarchy of needs ranging from basic physiological or lower order needs, such as food, water and shelter, to higher order psychological or emotional needs, such as self-esteem and belonging. According to the theory, people will typically spend their time and resources attempting to fulfill their lower order needs before they will consider satisfying their higher order needs.
There are a number of different views on what constitutes a need, and these differ widely from one culture to the next. For example, the view of need advocated by Amartya Sen and Martha Nussbaum is based on the idea that individual’s capabilities (e.g., education, mental health and physical strength) determine their ability to satisfy their needs. This approach is sometimes referred to as the “capability approach” or the “needs-based approach”.
Another view of needs is the one proposed by Doyal and Gough. Their theory states that a human’s needs are the costs of being a part of society, and those who don’t have their needs fulfilled will function poorly in society. This is sometimes referred to as the “need-based theory of social interaction”. This view is considered controversial and may conflict with other theoretical approaches to needs, such as the Maslow hierarchy of needs.