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yossarian · 03-15-2009, 10:37 PM

It seems like the definition of need has many definitions. I wonder which definition the OP's boyfriend was referring to? Maybe he wants to be "needed" in the same way a car is "needed" which we all seem to agree is ok.

What kind of neediness is NOT ok? Apparently needing a car to get to work is not really need, that is want. Likewise, needing a husband to pay for groceries is also not really need, it's want. Even though the husband buys you groceries, that doesn't mean the person is needed, since if the person was gone you could just get a job and buy your own groceries. As seeker said, just because a person is fulfilling a need doesn't mean they are needed.

So given the above ideas, what separates want from need? At what point are we just debasing the language?

Can someone give an example of what you guys mean by "needed"? I can't think of any "needs" anymore now that you've included absolutely everything under "want" AND separated "fulfilling a need" from "needing the person".

03-15-2009, 10:37 PM	#19 (permalink)
yossarian Family Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Vancouver Posts: 2,437	It seems like the definition of need has many definitions. I wonder which definition the OP's boyfriend was referring to? Maybe he wants to be "needed" in the same way a car is "needed" which we all seem to agree is ok. What kind of neediness is NOT ok? Apparently needing a car to get to work is not really need, that is want. Likewise, needing a husband to pay for groceries is also not really need, it's want. Even though the husband buys you groceries, that doesn't mean the person is needed, since if the person was gone you could just get a job and buy your own groceries. As seeker said, just because a person is fulfilling a need doesn't mean they are needed. So given the above ideas, what separates want from need? At what point are we just debasing the language? Can someone give an example of what you guys mean by "needed"? I can't think of any "needs" anymore now that you've included absolutely everything under "want" AND separated "fulfilling a need" from "needing the person". Last edited by yossarian; 03-15-2009 at 10:40 PM.