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Why do people Confuse Want from a Need?

What is different from Need vs. Want?


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Some people often confuse what they want from what they need. Oftentimes, they would often address a want as a need because they want the thing or the event so badly that they misinterpret it.

A want is a desire to acquire a thing or an event whether in the future or at present. Wants differ from one person to another as well as wants can be diminished or even eradicated as time goes by. People also often change their wants occasionally or even rarely. It is never constant and most of wants are unimportant to a person’s life simply because he or she can survive without it. Examples of a want include play, leisure, car, travel, extravagant items, and many others.

A need on the other hand is a very important thing or event for a person. It could be in the terms of physical needs or mental needs. These are called objective and subjective needs. If a person is unable to attain what he or she needs, it will cause extreme discomfort, inability to function well, and inability to survive. Examples of a need include food, water, shelter, relationship with other people, security, self-esteem, and mental stability. These needs are necessary all throughout a person’s life.

Having defined the two terms, we may now say it would be very easy to determine which is which. Unfortunately, people still often perceive their wants as need because they just extremely want it. The best way to know a need from a want is to think if you have survived without having that particular thing or event in the past. If you have survived, then that is a want, otherwise, it is a need. Most people would assume they can’t survive without the thing they want when in fact, as time goes by, their wants on acquiring that particular thing may diminish.

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