Is Wanting Really a Need?

The age-old question of wanting versus needing has been a cornerstone of philosophical and psychological discourse. In essence, wanting itself can be seen as a need—a passion that drives us, but not all desires align with necessities for survival.

Motivation and Drive: The Basis of Wants

Why do we want to live, study well, achieve fame, or outshine our peers? Primarily, it's because wanting is a fundamental driver. It infuses our lives with purpose and direction, making them dynamic and meaningful. Wanting equals motivation.

Without motivation, life would indeed be dull and repetitive. However, as we emphasize, not everything we want is inherently necessary for our survival or well-being. It's perfectly fine to want more, even if it's not essential. As long as we maintain our vibrancy, our will to strive forward is a vital part of the human experience.

Wants vs Needs: Clarifying the Distinction

Another common misunderstanding is the conflation of wants and needs. While our needs are indispensable for survival—such as food and shelter—wants are the desires that enhance our quality of life. For instance, wanting to be a singer, eat a cookie, or see a singer at a concert is a personal desire, not a necessity for maintenance of life.

Your needs are the essential, fundamental requirements for your existence, while your wants are the additional desires that improve your comfort and satisfaction. This distinction is crucial for understanding the true value of human desire.

One Want, Many Needs: A Revolutionary Perspective

A profound realization redefines the relationship between wants and needs: one want can be seen as comprising many needs. To put it another way, when we accumulate multiple smaller needs, they collectively form a larger want.

Consider the case of wristwatches. If a person owns many wristwatches but desires a new, expensive one costing 100 bucks, this want can be fulfilled at the expense of less privileged individuals who need basic wristwatches to check the time. These individuals need watches that can be purchased for just 10 bucks each.

Ditching your luxury watch and instead giving it to those who need it can seem like a sacrifice, but in reality, it's an act of altruism. Your sacrifice can greatly benefit those in need, making your want suddenly a need for someone else.

This principle suggests that by reducing our wants, we can distribute these needs to those who would otherwise be unable to meet them. This way, your superficial desires can positively impact real human needs.

One key takeaway is to not always neglect your own needs. You have rights and satisfactions that are important to maintain. However, you can strategically replace some of your excessive wants with fulfilled needs to benefit others.

Your ultimate goal should be to distribute not all, but some of your wants into the lives of the less fortunate, transforming them into needs. This not only enriches the lives of others but also reinforces the idea that our wants can be a force for good when shared.

Wish you all the best in distributing some of your wants among poor humanity in the shape of needs...