DID YOU KNOW?
Let me start off by saying what is a need versus what is a want? I remember back in 1975 when I was in high school, my teacher decided to do an experiment on how people think. She told us to list all our needs in one column, and on a separate column list all our wants, or just want items in general. Now, after she gave us time to complete this task, then everyone forwarded their list to the front of the class so our teacher could go over this experiment, which produced some shocking results. I found out very quickly how the next person thinks compared to me in how my needs and wants differed from my classmates.
Anyway, most people put down water and food, which were obvious needs, but very few people put down God/Christ as a need. After hearing the reading of my classmate’s lists, it was so obvious people's thinking was way off. The want list was much longer with everyone. Some people would put down vacations, a stereo system, Jewelry, and put them in their need column, which should be a want item, but everyone’s minds think differently, which this whole exercise was done to show that we all do not perceive life the same way.
Now, let us really define what a need versus what is a want in more detail. Let me start off with just your basic needs, which are essentials in life that we are required just to survive. From the air we breathe to the water we drink; these are the ‘bare-essentials’ without which our survival becomes a question. Then there are growth needs, which are the things we need in-order to achieve higher goals, such as positive mental health or self-actualization. For example: we need exercise to achieve health goals, but we
Now, wants on the other hand, are mere desires. These are not necessary for survival, but enhance our quality of life if consumed in good measure. This can include wanting that brand-new phone or a new dog. Wants make living more pleasant but are not as vital as needs. They are not the ‘must-haves,’ but rather the ‘nice-to-haves.’
Here are the five tiers of need, from base needs to growth needs are: Physiological, which is a base need. We first desire things that keep us alive, like air and water as I already mentioned. Safety and Security is also a base need. We desire things that make us feel safe and secure, like shelter and financial stability. Then there is: Love and belonging, which is a growth need. We seek out social satisfaction through a sense of belonging to an in-group, a good family life, and finding friends or an intimate partner. Esteem is another growth need, where we seek respect from both our community and ourselves. Self-actualization, where we seek self-actualization, by which means becoming the best version of ourselves. An example might be the deep satisfaction from raising happy children.
Now, here is a list of other needs. The following needs start from the ‘base essentials' in-order to live, to things we need in-order to thrive (but not
do not need it to survive in the short- or medium-term, so it is a growth need.