The classical definition of the concept of "need" is the need to supplement the organism with something that does not apply to it. Any living organism constantly needs something. Food, special environmental conditions - all these are needs. An example of a person's needs may reflect real or imaginary needs. How to learn to distinguish between these concepts and what classification of needs is correct?
Basic views
Needs can be material (physical) and spiritual (mental). Some philosophers believe that this division is true only for humans. Other experts say that many animals also have a need for communication and feel uncomfortable in isolation from their relatives. This is an example of spiritual, or mental, need. Physical needs are a necessity in some material objects. A person needs food and water, clothes to maintain a comfortable body temperature and an impressive list of objects that are used in a particular culture. The desire to communicate with others, to experience feelings, to learn something new is all spiritual needs. An example of the needs of this type is quite easy to get. Suppose a person moves to a foreign country. He feels lonely, discomfort is also caused by ignorance of the language and a vague idea of local culture and religion. Accordingly, there is a need to make new acquaintances for regular friendships and a desire to learn more about the mentality and mindset of local residents.
Necessity or desire?
There are also imaginary and genuine human needs. Examples one can find by understanding yourself. Suppose at the moment you want to buy a new expensive car and feel hungry. Which of these two needs is more important and more relevant? Of course, this is a physical desire to eat. But the acquisition of new things is not always an imaginary need. Suppose you want a car because you live in a suburb, spend too much time and energy on daily trips to work on public transport. If the purchase of personal transport will bring you benefits (saving time, the opportunity to increase earnings), and you want to get only a vehicle - this is a real need. In the case when you already own a car, but you want to buy a more expensive and prestigious car, your desire can be designated as an imaginary need.
Primary needs
The main ones are the needs of man, determined by nature itself. Any living organism needs nutrition and fluids. If these needs are not regularly met, a person, animal or plant will simply die. Another important natural process is respiration, respectively, it is appropriate to say that fresh air is a natural need of the body. Rest after work, sleep after prolonged wakefulness and physical activity after rest are also natural needs. An example of this type of needs is the fear of the threat of life (the instinct of self-preservation), and the desire to have sexual intercourse with a representative of the opposite sex.
Can you survive without satisfying your primary needs?
We know what a person needs from nature. Most of these needs are vital. If a person stops drinking or eating, after a while he will die. Death can also occur due to severe hypothermia or overheating of the body. The same is true for physical overwork or constant relaxation. It is important to understand that all natural needs must be met in the right amounts. This will help to maintain health and well-being until old age. If you misjudge your needs, you only harm your own body. Food and drink are real needs. Examples of their improper satisfaction can be found in modern society at every step. Choosing harmful products or instead of pure water - carbonated drinks, canned juices and alcohol, a person seems to satisfy the need (the calories are received, the feeling of hunger and thirst really receded), but it does not benefit his health.
Psycho-emotional needs
Any person strives for knowledge and new information. Depending on the range of interests, one individual seeks to read the scientific encyclopedia and write after his article-essay, while the other wants to study the last issue of the glossy magazine from cover to cover. To learn something new, to think and draw conclusions - all these are psychological needs. An example of this type of needs, given above, clearly shows that very often a person's needs are not so easy to classify. The desire to acquire a magazine or a book is a material need, since it is about possessing a real subject. But at the same time the printed edition is bought to obtain information, that is, to meet the spiritual need for new knowledge.
Life in society
There is another branch of psychoemotional needs - these are communication needs. Any person has a desire to communicate with other people, to establish close relations, to help or receive help and so on. The desire to work, get a certain status in society and actively participate in the lives of people around him is social needs. Examples everyone can find in themselves: this is the desire to create a strong and happy family or to achieve professional heights. Do not forget about political and social activities, any thoughts or real work in these industries also belong to the social sphere.
Existential needs
Philosophical questions about the meaning of life today do not have unequivocal answers. Each person decides what is the main thing for him and what is his main mission. Without hesitation, at least periodically about his life, it is impossible to exist. The search for answers to philosophical questions and the definition of one's place in life are existential needs. Examples can be found in addressing a particular person to religion or trying to create their own theories. For each individual it is important to keep a sound mind and find the most appropriate explanation for everything that is happening. In our time, it is not necessary to invent something new - there are many religious and scientific theories. Someone is satisfied with mystical explanations of the meaning of life.
Find and understand yourself
Another important psychological need is to clearly understand yourself and your own thinking. A person should perceive himself as a unit, distinguish his own thoughts and desires from those imposed by others. It turns out that freedom of thought and inner harmony are also spiritual needs? Examples for this issue are sometimes sad. Inability to understand and acknowledge oneself leads to psychological problems of various types and levels of complexity. These needs are natural and need to be satisfied. Otherwise it's difficult to talk about a person as a full-fledged person. The conclusion suggests itself: physiological and psychological needs are mostly equivalent. But at the same time in each category one must be able to distinguish between real and imaginary needs.