The word need pisses me off. It is a reflection of how demanding people have become. They need to take a look at Maslow's Heirarchy of Needs to find out what the word NEED really refers to.

I hear comments like I NEED a new phone, I NEED to get the new PS4.


People seem to associate the word NEED with material goods more and more. Ironically, all of these material goods are quite the opposite of need. An extreme want is never a need.

Need is food and shelter, the necessities to survive.

Media has crammed down our throats that we all NEED these brand new material goods in order to stay relivent. We NEED them so we can feed our NEED to be popular and current.

Aside from need's actual meaning, NEED=GREED


Comment, debate, tell a story of how this applies to you or someone you know, refer to how a want can become a need, or how a need could become a want.

bobq : I see what you're saying, but what I think you really mean is you hate the way people commonly use the word "need". You need to word you threads correctly. http://img2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20111026235521/foodtruck/images/7/73/Trollface.png

bobq : Meh, I agree that it really is greed in a way, but after many years of these new things that these comapnies say we need, it's as if the "need" to want more has become a part of society. There's always going to be a the majority of people saying that.

Bob, I need a new xbox one. Sooooo useless and unhelpful to survive in life but hey,.keeps me entertained. I really neeed it...


There's my overdramatic post for you people.

bobq : well, I think you are being quite overdramactic. Is a starving person supposed to say "ex use me I would LIKE
Some food?" Heck no. If used for something you don't need, I quite agree with you all the way.

I must say i agree with you. I have experienced so many brats saying they NEED (insert mostly useless object here), so many pundits saying we NEED (insert extremist law here), and just so many fools saying they need whatever everyone else has, that the word has lost a lot of its meaning to me. What do you NEED in life? Food, water, air, and shelter. That's it (unless your someone with an illness or other affliction, but the following still applies). You don't NEED a phone, you don't NEED a PC, you don't need any of those luxuries. 

I live in an affluent area. We have basic amneneties as well as some luxuries but we don't live frivolously, unlike the rest of the neighbourhood, it seems. It pisses me off when these kids whine at their parents for the latest gizmos and gadgets and get it. They don't NEED an Iphone 6Plus, but they get it, because they're spoiled brats.

Perhaps I'm a tad biased, but that's my opinion.

Boxia : Actually we may need things like a phone what if your stranded somewhere or lost you NEED a phone in order to place a call but that's only a handful of people so yeah i agree also you NEED an education of some sort to maximize your chance of success in life.

People say things all the time. They talk and talk and talk without giving a whole lot of thought to the words that come out of their mouth.

I had a friend that always used to say he was fittin' to do something. "I'm fittin' to get a new car." Fittin' doesn't apply and isn't even a word.

My grandfather uses the word feature incorrectly. He says "I can't feature why people would want to get all those piercings in their face."

To this day when speaking about a conversation I've had with another person, I will say "I was like 'Huh?' and she was like 'I'm not sure why my card doesn't work.' and then she was like 'blah blah blah'". How exactly does the word like fit into this story?

Don't get mad dude. All these words are just means to an end. Need, want, like - it's a brave new world where English gets murdered on a daily basis.

I agree with you, people use the word too much. It's usually"i need, insert useless object here ". People cant tell the difference between a want and a need is anymore. We need food,water,clothes education etc. People often use the word need when it comes to material goods usually. We don't need these fancy technologies like Iphone plus. Today's society is very spoiled to be honest, always pissed me off when these stupid kids bragged about their new phone or complained their parents didn't get them the newest phone.

I think another word that bugs me just like need is "deserve". People say that they deserve this or that but what they're really saying is they are entitled to it regardless of circumstance.

You don't deserve anything you reap what you sow and that's that.

Eh, the word used to bug me, but really "Extreme want" has kinda become part of it's meaning in a way
Which is fine, language changes and evolves all the time
You know, they would have a lot to say about Americas word usage in England,
which is where our language came from.
Yet here we are today, so different.
And they speak differently too

Yes it's annoying that language isn't more of a solid thing
but it's been fluid like this forever.
Words get misused, and words get changed
As long as we can still all communicate in the end it's fine

I believe the word need was used ironically in that instance at first,
and it kinda caught on and became the norm.
Idk though, just my guess.

Although I don't really like it when people are overly needy, I also agree with geeogree because need and deserve kind of go hand in hand. Some words that I think have become a lot more overused include whatever, literally, and awesome. Seriously though, almost every day I run into someone and they always end up talking to me while misusing one of these words. People use the word whatever for anything and everything, but people seem to use the word literally, literally, all the time....people seem to just throw it into a sentence whenever they want to make their point without actually knowing what it means. I think the most annoying has to be awesome though, people use it for the most mundane, boring and general everyday type things rather than using it for truly extraordinary moments. Overall, I just think people have really taken all meaning out of the word and they just lop into their everyday speech, like when they say OMG, awesome!....ugh, it just gets annoying after a while...some people could really use a big fat dose of dictionary to improve their grammar. 

Well it's not just the word 'need'. Hate is a stronger word than most people realize but it's taken the meaning of a sarcastic dislike.

However one I really find irritating is when people use the word literally when they don't actually mean literally. It takes the meaning out of the word just like need. It's used more as slang I suppose.

You know, we should really stop calling openly homosexual individuals, bundles of sticks...

Honestly any word can be turned into slang, just don't let it get your head and you'll be fine.

I do agree with you completely.

People often confuse need and want as two complete different words and worlds. They often become too adapted to materialistic items like cell phones, Ipods, and etc but meanwhile there are a lot of homeless people who barely surviving with getting the necessities like food, water, and shelter. I find it pretty sad when people especially kids think that electronics are the main things for survival when there are others suffering out there.

So I am guessing the reason that meaningless things become as needs to people by their clingy attachment and adaption to them. Plus I think style and popularity has to do with it especially. It's what captures a person's eyes in general. It does stink that some people just buy new materialistic items just to show off as well.

It never bothers me. To me it's just an expression of great desire for something, and my mind just automatically differentiates one usage of the word "need" with the more societally used term for "need".

While this is a valid point, you could also analyze the context in which it's used. For example, saying things like "I need my paycheck for me to do X" makes sense. It likely depends on how it's used. Despite this, it  is definitely true that people confuse wants (objects, services) with needs (food, shelter, clothes, etc.)

bobq : i agree with you no one needs new technology and gadgets and things of that nature. but what about someone with an addiction to drugs, alcohol, or cigarette? would you consider that a need or just a want because while they don't need it to survive like food or water. they do need there addiction to function in day-to-day life without it they go into withdrawal and get violently sick. so is an addiction a want or a need?

It's all relative. I mean, problems, solutions as well as needs are relevant. We're spoiled compared to, well, eighty percent of the world. To a lot of people, our issues are none more than incessant whining. What "need" means is really up to you. Do you need to do your homework? Do you need the iPhone 6S? Do you need water in the next couple of hours? It's what you prioritize.

I totally feel where you are coming from bobq.  As someone who has been w/o food and shelter there where things I needed.  Though I must say I am kind of glad to live in a place where so many of our basic needs are met that we don't even really know the correct use of the word anymore.  Cuz if you flip the sitch and look at kids in 3rd world countries they know what needs are.  If you gave them a working cell phone they would sell it so fast for things they actually need (food, water) that it would make your head spin.  So while I understand why it bothers you try looking on the brighter side.

Warioman21 :  You need a cell phone?  I have lived my whole life w/o one so I'd have to say they could be helpful but like bobq said but you don't really need one to survive.  If you needed a cell phone to survive I wouldn't be here.  Needs are things that you literally would not live without.