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14 Examples of Needs and Wants

John Spacey, October 17, 2021

Needs are things that are necessary to a satisfactory life. Wants are specific motivations that are generated by needs. Needs generate wants such that the two are manifestations of the same thing. The following are illustrative examples of needs and wants.

Need	Want
Hydration	Water Bottled Water Juice Soft Drinks Cold Drinks Hot Drinks Diet Soft Drinks Coffee Flavored Coffees
Food	Sugar Vegetables Meat Grains Cheese Fast Food Fine Food Convenience Food Toaster Oven Restaurant
Air	Clean Air Air Purifiers Environmental Regulations House Far From Pollution Sources
Temperate Environment	Air Conditioning Heating
Sleep	Bed Quiet Environment Clean Environment Hotel
Shelter	Apartment Condominium Hotel
Clothes	Shoes Pants Raincoat Boots Socks Slippers
Safety	Healthcare Pension Savings Investments Property Norms Laws Civility Policing Services Justice System Security System
Play & Movement	Right to Play Toys Wrestling & Play Fighting Freedom of Movement Exercise Sports Sports Equipment Public Space Bicycle Cycling Roads Car Highways Recreational Facilities Recess at School Vacations Reasonable Work Hours Weekends Gym Membership Exercise Equipment
Belonging & Connectedness	Love Friendship Culture Community Employment School Memberships Engagement Involvement Participation Family Shared Experience Comradery Emotional Expression Understanding Kindness
Esteem	School Grades Profession Awards & Recognition Degrees & Certifications Promotions High Salary Social Feedback Social Status Social Signaling Countersignaling Fashion High Status Brands High Status Friends Popularity Avoidance of Criticism Saving Face Justice for Yourself Confidence
Cognitive Needs	Caffeine Books Media Television Movies Entertainment Conversation Information Shared Meaning Education Research Development Experimentation Debate Peer Review Free Expression Cultivating Intelligence Cultivating Talents Training Mentors
Aesthetic Needs	Music Musical Instruments Night Clubs Gardening Art Performance Art Access to Nature Street Fashion Coolness Style Creative Expression
Self-actualization & Transcendence	Ability to Love Unconditionally Redemption & Forgiveness Philosophy Religion Spirituality Self-Awareness Self-Fulfillment Life Experience Growth Freedom & Independence Risk Taking Resilience Stoicism Adventure Travel Mastery Freedom of Expression Freedom of Speech Justice for Others Humility Unaffectedness

Education materials that cover needs and wants tend to impose subjective judgements. For example, a test that asks students to classify education as a need and friends as a want. This tends to be misleading and biased whereby students are told that some needs are less important than others where they might just as well decide for themselves.

It can be argued that all things people want stem from some type of need. These range from basic needs of survival up to the highest level of human experience such as a need to understand the universe. Categorizing higher level needs as "wants" is inherently subjective and oriented towards harsh austerity, minimalism and paternalism whereby certain needs are marked as unnecessary.

The needs above are loosely based on Maslow's hierarchy of needs. People may have needs that aren't on the list above. Likewise, people may not feel that they need all the needs listed. For example, transcendence typically involves letting go of lower needs.

14 Examples of Needs and Wants

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