The dichotomy between needs and wants is one that causes a lot of internal struggle within us. What we need isn’t necessarily what we want, and vice versa. We need food, drink, shelter, and to access those things, we need a job, a vehicle (or public transportation), and an annual income.
But what we want might have nothing to do with survival, as with the things aforementioned. Wants have more to do with the things that make us happy, such as hobbies, or owning things that are expensive, like luxury watches. Even though these things don’t provide for our needs, we’re willing to put a lot of time and money into them in order to obtain them.
Why is that though? Is it because our wants outweigh our needs, or is it because once we have our needs met, we can then focus on our wants?
The second seems like the most obvious answer. Once we have food, drink, shelter, etc., we can focus on the things we don’t have–the things that bring a sense of quality and enrichment to our life.
But even if we have all of our wants met, that wouldn’t be enough. For we cannot stand idly and let time pass until a need or want comes up. We are goal oriented. We need to have goals, and we need to have that feeling of accomplishment once we’ve completed them. It’s as if we’re in a continuous cycle to seek out goals–an endless pursuit of needs and wants.
Fallton Havenstonne 