want vs. need

is it better to have something one wants or needs?
explain please
explain the pros & cons of both
& give examples of things people want and need in life, if you can
and I only want people to answer whilst stoned..
thanks

 

Not fair...

 

yes, but do you need people to answer whilst stoned?

 

People often want things that they need but do not have....

 

so if their want is available to them then should they go ahead and get it or just stick with their needs as to not be 'selfish'?

 

it's better to have things you need because, well, you need them. if you don't have what you need, it's hard to even think about what you want.

once someone has what they need, they should try to get what they want as well (assuming the ends justify the means). if you only have what you need, life is barely worth living.


of course, i'm not stoned, so i may not be qualified to answer. i want to be stoned, but obviously i don't need to since i haven't managed to do so in some time now and i'm still here.

 

needs obviously. wtf kind of stupid question is that

 

wanker

 

yes because I'm looking for more philosophical answers rather than logical ones...

 

Needs are necessities Wants are desires..........Necessities of life are a priority or should be whilst wants would make life more comfortable maybe

 

is love needed or wanted?

or both?

a baby wants and needs love, right? they can't survive without love, right?

 

this is a matter of priorities. a logical, practical, observant person will satisfy their needs before their wants. for a want to be satisfied before all needs are met must carry more weight as a want, if that makes sense. if you but video games and toys before the bills are paid, you are going to be in for some hurt. if its something you can truly justify then its a decision you can live with. the modern concept of credit blurs the reality of wants and needs, and what gets paid for first. its borrowed money. how often can you turn to your buddy and say "can i borrow $20" before they stop lending you money until you pay up? a credit card gives too much money at once, and if not used wisely can eviscerate you, leaving you struggling to pay for the tv you bought on credit (that you dont really need, though a tv is an acceptable credit card purchase, IMO) or the fast food pit stops you swiped your card for (again, not needed- pack a lunch. save some money. also not an acceptable credit card purchase. use money you have for needs.) when you are drowning in credit card debt you cant have any wants, if you indulge your wants your debt will increase even faster. interest on a higher amount.
when it comes to selfishness it is not really for anyone to judge. if your needs are satisfied, by all means pursue your wants. the rich can have it all, but it is when they are not compelled to share that it offends sensible people. i certainly enjoy lifting people up, helping them out, even though i have little money. we should recognize abundance when we have it, and be grateful and generous with it. you ever have extra zuchinni? sure, people get tired of veggies like that, but have you ever shared some food with someone who really needed it? when we have an abundance, we should give of it. again, within reason. you put up your supplies first, canning, dehydrating, pickling, smoking etc etc. but when you have extra. needs, then wants. our wants, and the wants of others.

this is easier to answer, IMO. babies have to learn to want, and babies can survive without love. they would not develop socially in the right way, but they would grow and move about. imagine the tragic plight of an infant raised in dim light, by a slot through which his food is pushed. dismal.
love though spurs the parents to care for the child. thats why they are so cute too, so you dont strangle them. love makes us want to protect and care for more than we need many things. its a blended want and need, because we need (from a biological standpoint) to pass on our genetic material to the next generation. from experience i can say that i have gone without sleep, food, new/serviceable clothes, new shoes, materials for my hobbies. none of that is important in the face of providing for my kid. its programming.

in my opinion, whatever thats worth.

 

If you have what you need then you will get what you want.

 

thanks for the answers

I see a want in life being a person's 'dream' in life. I think people should follow and pursue their dreams. I guess it's not selfish...dreams becoming a reality is happiness. People deserve to be happy.

now what if I was asking strictly referring to a relationship..
is it better to have the need instead of the want? or do you think it's it possible to find the need and want within one person?

 

I think when you are talking about relationships,you may need and want that person at the same time.The words and concepts of "need" and "want" become blurred.But it might be wiser to sort out your other more "practical" "needs" first.

 

I want a new fly rod.. Therefor.. I need to buy a new reel for it as well..

that's how need and want work..

 

Love is desired and wanted but it is not a necessity a baby can survive without love, it is not desireable but it nis not a necessity, in my opinion.

 

I thought there was some study long ago where babies were only given basic needs and never touched (type of love?) and so they died. Touch always seems to be in a loving manner so can it be argued that touch Is love? So then I'd say, we do Need Love.

 

i like the idea of looking at needs as being related to surviving and wants as being related to thriving.

when i've been in situations where i needed something (food and a place to sleep in the cold), when all my energy was focused on getting what i needed, i really didn't think much about *wants* in the sense of extras. my needs were my wants if that makes sense, so when i got what i needed (shelter and food) (which at a certain point i also fully wanted, too... others have described this blurring), i was able to consider both necessity and luxury in terms of classic want/need distinction.

only when my needs are met, are wants even something i think about... i don't think one is more important than the other, rather i think of needs as a sort of precursor to wants.

i consider love, with the broad definition of empathy, compassion, care, not in terms of romance but basic human goodness, to be a definite need. i really do think that we need, on some level, to feel like we are cared about, and just as intimately related, to feel like we care back.

 

Needs suck, and wants are fun. To want too much though does not make for a very interesting person. A person can become very fixated and have a irritating way of measuring their value and influence. Some needs can be simply met such as needing to eat, but needs can also get complicated such as needing love. Wanting to have less need is a worthy goal. I think that is called letting go. Needing to have more want is a good incentive to accomplish and provide. That is called ambition.