whats the difference between NEED and Want?
By HelScream
@HelScream (2822)
Philippines
April 7, 2009 12:40pm CST
We always use the word NEED and WANT but do they really have the same meaning? I have past knowledge about how the two differ in my college studies but now seems to forget how really the two differ... In your own opinion what are their difference?
like saying I need you because I love you or I want you because I love you.... sometimes this two words are just confusing.....
8 people like this
27 responses
@Colmuc (707)
•
7 Apr 09
The words have two different meanings. You might love someone and also feel you need them. You might need an operation for some health problem but certainly not want it.
You might want to have an operation to improve your looks but certainly not need it.
Another word for need is require and for want you can say wish to have. So do you really require a new coat or just wish to have one.
2 people like this
@HelScream (2822)
• Philippines
7 Apr 09
oh another good one this is getting to be clearer and clearer to me now....
2 people like this
@krajibg (11922)
• Guwahati, India
8 Apr 09
Hi Colmuc! you are to the largest extent but things do not end there. The 'require' and 'need' things mingle at certain point in such a way you would looking for where hone which. They become synonymous.
But I loved your instances.
@krajibg (11922)
• Guwahati, India
7 Apr 09
There is a slight difference between "need' and 'wish'. 'Need' is something that you require and without which your work or mission would not be completed whereas 'want' is more often used as a wish. A kind of need that can be postponed. Wants are unlimited but needs; are limited or they could be brought to a certain limitation.
1 person likes this
@HelScream (2822)
• Philippines
7 Apr 09
another good difference and got your point my friend
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@HelScream (2822)
• Philippines
8 Apr 09
ok since you have given me the difference between the two now can you identify which does this belong like I need you or I want you...we all know that no man is an island right so where does a person belong need or want?
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@krajibg (11922)
• Guwahati, India
8 Apr 09
Well if we speak on these two on syntactic basis in many occasions we would find one as the substitute of the other but there context vary. If I am to use the word 'want' as a noun in a sentence like ' he spent most of his youth in meeting his family wants'. Here he was needed to do that or it was sort of compulsion for him.
Coming again "I want you' and 'I need you' would differ semantically. Though they share the connotative meaning their application 'could' be different as when I say 'I want you' - it is sort of imperative, I mean unless you here the intonation in the actual articulation of the sentence you are not sure as it were.
As you have the printed text only you are functionally led to accept this rather in a negative sense. 'I want you for my own business not for others' but when you use 'I need you' the textual semantic is necessity or a polite way of asking your hand or companion.
Hope I made it to somehow.
Nice discussion all the way.
Nice discussion all the way.
@HelScream (2822)
• Philippines
7 Apr 09
hmmm ok so its more of a second thing to need..
1 person likes this
@dorothyDauphinee (534)
• United States
7 Apr 09
there is a great difference between need and want !I personally want many many things however i have everything I need so little such as air to breath food to eat and maybe a roof over my head all things i am lucky to already have !
1 person likes this
@HelScream (2822)
• Philippines
7 Apr 09
those are the basic needs for us humans yes indeed those are simple things but need them to survive.
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@HelScream (2822)
• Philippines
7 Apr 09
very concise definition between need and want thanks my friend
1 person likes this
@Catfreeek (346)
• United States
7 Apr 09
The words themselves are not the same in meaning but the context in which people use them nowadays does blur the line. I think if people concentrated more on their actual needs instead of their wants the world would be a much happier and trustworthy place.
1 person likes this
@HelScream (2822)
• Philippines
7 Apr 09
yeah in deed sometimes we forgot to distinguish between the two. and yes you are right but I guess now people and that includes me should focus on our needs more rather than our wants
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@sunshinelady (7609)
• United States
7 Apr 09
When you need something it is something that you can not do without. On the other hand if you want something you can get by if you don't get it. I think that needing something is having what you absolutely have to have to survive. That is the main difference to me.
@HelScream (2822)
• Philippines
7 Apr 09
Yes you are right my friend but what about if you are addicted already to a certain thing would this be considered a need. Lets just say if i smoke do I consider it as a need?
@sid556 (30959)
• United States
8 Apr 09
Wow...I thought only teens & kids got confused with this one.
It is easy, a "need" is something that you really could not live without. A want is something that you "think" you can't live without. Live in a tent for a few months and you will quickly transfer many items on your "needs" list to the "want" list. Pretty humbling experience. Did you know that paper towel can serve as toilet paper, kleenex and napkins? We do not NEED phones or tv or curling irons or straighteners. We don't NEED sinks and running hot water...trust me...you can survive without it...it's not a lot of fun but it can be done. Heck you don't even need a stove...you can heat water on a grill and you can buy showers...ever try those showers where you insert quarters as you go...fun stuff. Do you really want to know the difference? Put yourself to the test and you will figure it out. It isn't an experience I'd ever want to repeat but then again it isn't an experience that I'll ever regret either. My kids and I learned alot from it...very humbling.
It is easy, a "need" is something that you really could not live without. A want is something that you "think" you can't live without. Live in a tent for a few months and you will quickly transfer many items on your "needs" list to the "want" list. Pretty humbling experience. Did you know that paper towel can serve as toilet paper, kleenex and napkins? We do not NEED phones or tv or curling irons or straighteners. We don't NEED sinks and running hot water...trust me...you can survive without it...it's not a lot of fun but it can be done. Heck you don't even need a stove...you can heat water on a grill and you can buy showers...ever try those showers where you insert quarters as you go...fun stuff. Do you really want to know the difference? Put yourself to the test and you will figure it out. It isn't an experience I'd ever want to repeat but then again it isn't an experience that I'll ever regret either. My kids and I learned alot from it...very humbling. @sid556 (30959)
• United States
8 Apr 09
I hope that I understood your question correctly. Are kids,family friends a need to me? Yes...they are the most important things in my life. I mean, I know that if I were to lose any one of them that my life would indeed go on and I'd be physically ok but it would be very very difficult. So yes...emotionally I would have to consider them to be a need. The quality of my life would be drastically reduced without them. Now you are making me think deeply.
@HelScream (2822)
• Philippines
8 Apr 09
yes I have experienced the simplest things in life and believe me we are not even using shower were I came from hahha and we are not even using stoves to all the time now you say this words are simple to you my friend can you tell me if a person like your kids, husband your direct family ,your best friend can be considered as a need to you?
1 person likes this
@HelScream (2822)
• Philippines
8 Apr 09
oh sorry my friend for making you think deeply all I am trying to emphasis is that some dont consider people like friends family or love ones as part of their need in which their are lots of categories in need and all they know is the basic need which is the food water and air.....and thank you for sharing your thoughts my friend.
@HelScream (2822)
• Philippines
8 Apr 09
hmmmm i guess you NEED to do that tomorrow then lol have a nice evening too my friend.
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@HelScream (2822)
• Philippines
8 Apr 09
my friend that puts a smile on my face how was the cleaning my friend? lol
and yeah a big difference indeed have a nice day or evening or afternoon again lol
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@commanderxo (1494)
• Canada
8 Apr 09
A "need" is something that one must acquire, in order to survive.
A "want" is simply a desire to acquire something, that one does not necessarily need in order to survive.
Maslow's Pyramid.
cdrxo
@commanderxo (1494)
• Canada
9 Apr 09
True enough.
However we DO understand what a person means, even if certain words are not used in a grammatically correct sentence. We are not necessarily concerned about GRAMMAR, whether it be correct or not, but rather only the MESSAGE.
THIS is why some words SEEM to "sound better" to our ears. It's just a matter of interpretive expression, which our brains accept, as something IT can decipher and understand. It's pretty cool, really. But you are correct in what you say.
Good one. Keep on MyLoting!
cdrxo
@HelScream (2822)
• Philippines
9 Apr 09
you too my friend and its so good to hear some views such as you have i will see you around my friend and have a good day
1 person likes this
@HelScream (2822)
• Philippines
8 Apr 09
yes I know this my friend and the word need is widely used already and not only to the basic needs of man anymore try to hear it from others and if we use want its does not fit like for example I really need to wash that clothes tomorrow ...this sounds right rather than i really want to wash that clothes tomorrow...which has different meaning......
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@srikool (936)
• India
9 Apr 09
the need is the we cant avoid it..our need s must be full filled..but the want is not like that..it may be filled or may not be...that is the dfference between need and want..
life is gift from god..so we need to enjoy it..we must get our needs..we must reduce our wants..then our life will be a happiest one in the world..have a happy mylotting
@HelScream (2822)
• Philippines
9 Apr 09
simply nice my dear thanks for sharing what you think about this topic....
@Anora_Eldorath (6028)
• United States
9 Apr 09
Here's the rub, we don't really "need" anything. Interesting view huh? If we look at the mystery traditions, and the Eastern teachings we find that man really has no "need", we have desire. These desires turn to wants as the ego turns our brain around saying "But you need this, you cannot be without out", along with a host of things to follow.
When we begin to detach ourselves from this life we find that we need for nothing, and we desire nothing. We simply exist in the present moment. As this occurs more and more we soon realize all things this mortal body do need to exist are there, such as water, food, air, and so forth.
Namaste-Anora
@HelScream (2822)
• Philippines
9 Apr 09
Nice view my friend I think you are talking of life before we became mortals but as mortals those basic needs are present got your point thanks for sharing Anora have a good day.
@HelScream (2822)
• Philippines
8 Apr 09
thanks for the reply my friend but if i give you an example like a person where do they belong to need or want?
@s321986 (28)
• India
8 Apr 09
Hai,
if you are worrying about anything or sick then you NEED person to share or take care of you.But when you feel that you will be happy with some person then you WANT that person.
NEED a person means you can not survive without that person n WANT a person means you are saying that you will be happy or comfort with that person, but you can survive without them......
@mr_allan_a (88)
• Philippines
8 Apr 09
NEED and WANT?..
sometime's they could be related or interdependent. You WANT something because you
NEED it or You NEED something because you WANT it.
Like if you say something like ""I always WANT you to be by my side because I NEED you" or "I NEED you and I WANT you here right now this very minute!" .
: (I've re-posted this, I don't know why I didn't see this on the last page..)
@HelScream (2822)
• Philippines
8 Apr 09
well those are the basic needs of a person food air and water there are certain categories of need my friend....
@mr_allan_a (88)
• Philippines
9 Apr 09
YES, i think Helscream is right, sometimes WANT could become a NEED, a necessity, a burning desire, a passion. Like you could say, wow, that's a nice car, I WANT that car, I must have that car. Sure, you could live without a car, you could take the bus or taxi. But the everyday you always think of that car and you find ways so you can have it and you don't stop until you'd have it.
What you WANT becomes something that you can't just ignore, it became a DESIRE, a NEED.
Now I say, that's a good case of something that you WANT because you NEED it..
@xParanoiax (6987)
• United States
8 Apr 09
I need sleep but don't WANT it.
That's a good example, yeah?
Alot of people do forget it, but I think that's more mental condition and lack of hard thought, more than a natural state we have.
@HelScream (2822)
• Philippines
8 Apr 09
a very good example my friend ...that one I also consider a necessity in our life for which all of us must do to survive..
@brew2x (3094)
• Philippines
8 Apr 09
"Need" and "want" seems to be similar but it really has different meaning. Need is a necessity, something that you must have. Want is something that you really desire even if it is not necessary. I think want has stronger urge. It is like could compared to can or would compared to will.
@HelScream (2822)
• Philippines
8 Apr 09
Do you mean need has the stronger urge than want?coz as defined need is more important than want?
@Dasari100 (3791)
• Anantapur, India
8 Apr 09
Need means when you necessary for clothes,food,shelter not for unnecessary things so if you not satisfy your needs and turns to Want then you are increasing desires that will make us mad so and we won't stay peace long time.
@sweetyethot (1737)
• China
8 Apr 09
Personally,I think 'need' is more powerful than 'want'.If you need someone,it may indicate that your life would be difficult without him/her.The word 'want'is less stronger than 'need' in such cases.lol
@HelScream (2822)
• Philippines
8 Apr 09
lol ok got your point sweetyethot and thanks for the sample my friend
@babyorchid (1737)
• China
8 Apr 09
em..i think need is much deeper...need means we might miss , mistake, or cant finish something without some certain items..but want..is just our desire..we still can live without our desire to get this item
hehe sounds silly reply
lol
best wishes
@HelScream (2822)
• Philippines
8 Apr 09
well nothing is silly my dear try reading good relies here at the post you will get a lot of ideas from them like i do.though I know the basic definition already but i am trying to get something form this.
@Hvaniday1 (550)
• Malaysia
8 Apr 09
Hi HelScream, Need = Necessity that is something you can't live without it. Want = Desire that is you can live without it. Happy Mylotting.
@HelScream (2822)
• Philippines
8 Apr 09
thanks for sharing your input my friend how about joining the topic that we are discussing here just now.
