What makes you think you don’t need those?
I think everyone - to a degree - needs to want.
Communism leads to death
Capitalism at least maintains life - because life requires want/desire/effort.
I think the entire issue is (and has always been) all about discerning what is needed to want.
– my personal vote is for MIJOT. 
My friend Edward seems to basically understand,
that there is a clear distinction between want and need.
Anybody that can’t tell the difference, is confused.
As far as I am concerned, the word “need” means “that which is necessary in order to come as close as possible to the attainment of your highest goal” and the word “want” merely means “perceived need”. That makes it obvious that wants can, but do not have to, be bad. To want something means to think that you need something – regardless of whether you really need that thing or not. If you really need it, then your want is also a need, and therefore, it’s a good thing. If you don’t, it’s something you don’t need, so it’s a bad thing.
On the other hand, I realize that this is not how other people define those terms. As an example:
They aren’t explicit about it – it’s no surprise – but what they seem to be saying is that they define the word “need” to mean “what is necessary in order to avoid death within a relatively short period of time”. They do not say how short this relatively short period of time has to be but one can guess from their examples.
Without air, you die within 3 minutes. Without water, you die within 3 days. Without food, you die within 3 weeks. I don’t know about clothing and shelter but I guess these will take longer – months perhaps? Maybe even years? As for medical care, that depends. All in all, it seems like the relatively short period of time is around several months – no more than 6 months, perhaps.
With that in mind, being surrounded by people who love you, as mentioned by Mad Man P, is probably not a need because you won’t die without it within 6 months. But on the other hand, it is indeed something that increases your chances of survival – and considerably so.
Why would anyone want to live with only their need? By doing so, you decrease the chances of your long-term survival.
Actually, you can die of a broken heart, and loneliness has physical health consequences. Think of ptsd, too.
Consider Maslow’s Hierarchy.
- perfectly worded.
- as well
- not so much.
I think a “want” is merely a temporarily focused urge or goal - might be good - might be bad - good/bad not really in consideration. What will be achieved from the attainment might merely serve to qualm the independent urge - relieving an unsettled pressure (giving the masses free money so they won’t vote for the other party).
Needs are used as excuses to pursue wants - hiding the ill considered blind agenda (“It feels so good to hate - we need to destroy!”)
I am certain the moment you stop trying - is the moment you begin dying. But want only for what you truly need - beginning with realizing what is truly needed (beyond the obvious). Having a hope inspiring activity (an “aspiration” - a goal) is essential - else you merely weaken and wither away. A touch of fantasy is like sugar in the lemon juice of life - live a lot longer doing the necessities when they are even artificially more fun.
Wants are needs.
We live in an existence plane where we need to make decisions otherwise.
How about choose to get your needs met in an ethical, reasonable manner that treats all stakeholders as self?
Speak now or forever hold your peace (if you want to be a stakeholder).
Ichthus.
Don’t ever talk to me like that again.
If this is what you want. Stay here.
I’m leaving.
There’s nothing you can do about it.
Yeah yeah yeah you’re leaving when the imaginary patch kicks in. Me, too. In fact, I already left. I’m ghost posting this right now.
_
Lol.
In other words:
Luxury vs Necessity.
Bare minimum, basic needs are those things one needs to secure in order to avoid a penalty.
If the government penalizes something, they better not put obstacles in the way of avoiding it! That’s called baiting, entrapment, etc.
Examples:
- preventing development of income-based housing while penalizing sleeping outside
- destroying crops while penalizing feeding hungry folks
- pushing end-of-life level opiates for emergency use you JUST got in trouble for overprescribing before the pandemic … leading to more addiction, overdose deaths, homelessness you try to sweep away
- and here come the armed tax collectors to take what’s left
We need to turn back, is what we need.
It’s true that want and need both come through feelings and desires.
But the whole point of distinction is to better relay knowledge.
That is why i said :
“As far as making a word useful,
i use the words need vs want.”
I appreciate that saying there are two different things does not in itself give them definition.
Best is when we want what we need, and see that we need creativity in the likeness of the eternal (Virtuoso).
Last thing.
We need truth, goodness, and beauty. We can say no, try to fill those needs with junk wants, and become malnourished & starve our soul (& become parasites). Or we can want/choose in line with our needs (which is in line with others).
Not possible to do well apart from the infinite well that replenishes.
As a salesman, there is the concept of “good enough” and I feel that is often undervalued.
That’s what I think of when it comes to “need vs want”. There are people who want a perfect system. It’s often a sort of post-Christian hangover or a need for control. But the world is fuzzy. Let it be fuzzy. Yeah you want X but do you need X? If you need X, we have options but you have to sacrifice Y. We also have Y-focused options if that is what is actually important (happens more often than you’d think!) but oftentimes just having the Y road is sufficient for them to adopt the X solution.
Part of capitalism is a crisis of too many choices. Arbiters of capitalism, salespeople, serve the system by resolving those choices.
As a communist with strong authoritarian principles, I find it funny that people loop around to being told what to do but I will admit the velvet glove is nicer than the iron fist.
You think it’s funny people shift to your view?
You must not really hold it.
_
Wants can become needs, but that doesn’t make those needs a necessity but an extravagance.
We are allowed extravagances from time to time… being grown working people n’all.