I Want It, I Need It

Something I am thinking about is, how do we find the place where needs and wants meet.

Traditional economists believe we have infinite wants, but that we have finite needs.

Maslow talks about the hierarchy of needs, which blurs the line between genuine physical needs and our emotional and mental needs, which in some circles could be defined as wants.

Often, we don’t get what we really want because we buy things we want in the moment, but which we don’t really need and later regret. So we put off buying the experiences and things that we both want, and, at a deeper level, need.

Many would argue that it is the marketer’s fault for drawing our attention away from our true wants and needs. And, although I believe marketers do need to consider and be more responsible for what they market, if we, the consumers, keep asking for and settling for the frivolous and shallow, how can we blame anyone but ourselves for not getting what we really want and need?