A need is a feeling of unfulfillment or desire for something, particularly something that would improve a situation or cannot happen without it. It is also a sense of obligation or demand that an individual feels toward another. Some of the most common needs are for food, water, shelter and sleep. Others include feelings of connection and love. The word is also used to refer to a specific need of a society or group, such as demand for a particular type of business, a social welfare program or for certain types of people.
Abraham Maslow, a psychologist, developed a theory of human needs in 1943 that posited that humans have a hierarchy of psychological and biological needs, from basic physiological and safety needs such as food, water and shelter through to higher order needs for belonging, esteem and self-actualization. He believed that people will spend most of their time and energy attempting to fulfill the lower order needs before they move on to meet the higher orders.
In addition to the physiology-based needs of the body, Maslow also posited that individuals will have needs for status, power and wealth in their relationships and their environment, as well as a need for a sense of achievement or accomplishment. These needs, he believed, were necessary for psychological and emotional well-being.
Although the academic study of needs reached its zenith in the 1950s, Maslow’s theory remains widely accepted. It has been criticized, however, for its emphasis on the importance of social interaction and its tendency to polarize people’s views about what is “necessary” and what is not.
Moreover, the concept of need can be difficult to quantify and measure. Needs are also influenced by culture and context, a fact that complicates the ability to compare needs across cultures or even within different parts of the same society. In addition, the need to satisfy a need can be a source of tension between individuals and in relationships.
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