Need

A need is something important that a person or living thing must have to stay safe, stable, and healthy. For example, air, water, food, and shelter are needs because without them, a person or animal could become very sick or even stop living. These are different from wants, which are things we would like to have but can live without.

All living things have basic needs to survive. Humans, for example, need clean water to drink, food to eat, and a safe place to live. But humans also have other kinds of needs, like feeling connected to others, having a sense of purpose, or belonging to a family or community.

The idea of needs is important in many areas of study, including philosophy, biology, psychology, social science, economics, marketing, and politics. Understanding what people need helps us make better decisions about how to care for one another and build stronger societies.

Psychological definition

To most psychologists, a need is a special feeling inside us that makes us want to do something to reach a goal. This gives our actions a purpose and direction.

The most famous idea about needs was created by psychologist Abraham Maslow in his hierarchy of needs in 1943. He thought people have levels of needs, starting with basic ones like food, water, and safety, and moving up to things like feeling loved, respected, and becoming our best selves. People usually focus on meeting the basic needs first before thinking about the higher ones. Maslow’s idea helps us understand why people act the way they do, but it needs to be changed a bit to fit different situations.

Doyal and Gough's definition

A different way to think about needs comes from a professor named Ian Gough and a medical ethics professor named Len Doyal. In their book A Theory of Human Need, they explain that everyone needs certain things to live well in society.

According to them, everyone needs to stay healthy and have the freedom to make their own choices. This means having good mental health, learning skills, and being able to join in community activities. They list twelve important things that help meet these needs, like having enough healthy food and water, a safe place to live, and good healthcare.

They believe these needs should be decided using current science, listening to people’s real-life experiences, and making choices together through voting and discussion. This way, everyone’s needs are met fairly.

Other views

The idea of a need has been studied in education and social work. In his writings, Karl Marx described humans as creatures who feel needs and suffer when trying to meet them. He believed that meeting needs leads to new needs, shaping who we are.

Some thinkers say needs are both real and important for guiding our actions. For example, a model called Compassionate Communication helps people understand each other's needs by looking at feelings and requests. This can help people find fair ways to meet everyone's needs.

We also talk about the needs of groups, like towns or schools, which might need certain services or skills. In medicine, some treatments are clearly needed, like urgent care for a serious illness, while others are choices based on personal preference.