Needs

In the essay “Needs” by Thomas Sowell, he gives two main examples both demonstrating that “What we think we need is only what we want.”(419) He shows us these examples by comparing his daughter and politicians. He shows that we are materialistic, but we try to hide the fact and try not to show we are by saying, we need instead of we want. Sowell feels that many people tangle with this distinction and believes that it hurts us all. Through these distinctions Sowell fabricates an essay of the dangerous concepts of the things we “Need.”

Sowell goes on to explain that many people think that many things they want are all necessary, and that most of those things we cannot all have so many people make trade-offs. Meaning if you can’t afford one thing than you go for the other. It seems like more of an efficient way to live, to not always go buy new things to make one happy. For example when Sowell’s daughter would always bash him about buying a new car, Sowell told her he could, but that would mean her education would have to suffer. That many people need to learn to sacrifice in order to get what they want.

I am guilty for being one that does not pick her trade-offs wisely. For instance I would buy a $20 blouse rather than putting in the 20 dollars for gas, which I really need to get to school, work, and home. My parents have always told me to not spend my money like it grows on trees and to not waste it on non-essentials, meaning to not always buy the newest purse rather than saving my money for something that will benefit me in the end. I am learning now that if I want to save my money and not see it go to waste I really need to re-think if that $20 blouse is really going to benefit me, especially because I can live without it.

Sowell emphasizes that many people may abuse the word need to cover the excuse of wanting something for there own satisfaction. “That usually means having some of many things but not all we want of anything.”(420) What he is trying to explain is that many people have many things but a fair amount of it, and you can have what you want but your going to still keep a reasonable. Many people don’t understand that you can have what you want but you don’t always have to have the whole thing, that it can be minimized into a reasonable quantity. He uses the example of food, that we all need food to survive but many people consume more than needed and that consuming too much food can be harmful. The word need is taken to another level when it causes one to be confused with what they really need and what is necessary.

There are many ways people can prevent the confusion of need and want. By doing so I think that many people will really learn the value of things and stop abusing the word need on material things rather than the need of more important things in on our society. Sowell says that, “Politicians don’t manufacture anything except hot air. Every “need” they meet takes away from some other “need” somewhere else. (421) Meaning that when the government goes on to open up something else that they think we need it is in reality, taking away from something else more important. That these confusions with the word need can really damage our economy and society. If there was to be a way to make distinct way to differ the word “need” and the word want, I feel that our economy, and society would be happier and more successful than the way it is now.

My conclusion is that, I feel as if many people will never really know how to make the choice of something they want and need, especially in today’s society where everything is so materialistic. But if that was to be changed many people would happier by making trade-offs and going for the essentials rather than the non-essentials. Many people won’t be stressed out because they wouldn’t have to work as much for of the lavish things they have accumulated because of their confusion of “needing” it. One will never be able to make the correct distinction between an item they want or need, but it is an easier way to live, and hopefully one day that can be corrected, and maybe our economy wouldn’t be suffering as much as it is today.