A need is a fundamental requirement that people must satisfy in order to maintain their health and well-being. It can be a physical or psychological requirement. Some examples include food, water and shelter. The most commonly known academic model of need is the hierarchy of needs proposed by psychologist Abraham Maslow in 1943. He suggested that people spend most of their resources (time, energy and finances) attempting to meet their basic physiological or lower-order needs before the higher-order psychological needs such as belonging, esteem and self-actualization become meaningfully satisfied.
A person’s needs are reflected in their daily habits and choices. A person may be able to identify their own personal needs through a process of reflection and evaluation of past experiences. This process can help them understand their motivations and lead to positive change in their lives.
In English, the words need and want are often used interchangeably. In reality, however, there is a difference between them. Need is more of a fundamental requirement, while want refers to something that would be nice to have. It is important to distinguish between the two in order to manage one’s personal and professional life effectively.
What is the difference between Need and Necessity?
Need is more of a fundamental requirement that people must satisfy inorder to maintain their health and well-being. The word need is also used to describe what someone needs in order to function in society. This is more of a psychological definition than the term necessity, which is based on scientific research.
The concept of need is closely related to that of want, and the distinction between the two is often misunderstood. For example, the need to sleep is an essential need that differs from the want to buy a new sofa. A person who needs sleep will endeavor to ensure that their needs are met before they can afford luxuries, such as designer clothes.
The etymology of the word need is somewhat obscure, and it is not clear whether it is derived from an Indo-European root or from Latin. It is also not clear whether the concept of need is universal. It is common, for instance, to hear the English expression needn’t when referring to an action that is unnecessary, in which case it is a contraction of the phrase don’t have to. In fact, the expression needn’t can be used in other languages as well. The idiom has been used in Latin, Russian, German and Czech. It is not, however, common in the US and is probably less prevalent in other countries.