Research Paper on:
Individual's Wants, Needs, and the Difference Between Them

Unformatted Sample Text from the Research Paper:
that persons very survival? Clearly, the elements of food, clothing, shelter, fresh water and medical care are tantamount to the fundamental needs required by all individuals; however, it can  readily be argued that beyond these basic necessities, all else falls under the category of wants. A person living in poverty might possess nothing more than the basic needs for  staying alive; however, in order to make his woeful existence more bearable, he might want for a better selection of food, a more secure structure within which to live or  the chance to obtain an education so he might improve his life. As it were, none of these things are mandatory for his continued existence, yet they would certainly  serve to promote a happier life. On the contrary, an individual whose personal assets exceed what is necessary for a comfortable existence - such as what is found in  abundance throughout Western culture - does not understand the definition of "need" and only abides by what he wants. The poverty-stricken farmer in Indonesia craves clean water and more  nutritionally sound food, while the rich American businessman must contend with which bottle of champagne to accompany his gourmet meal. Indeed, there exists a significant imbalance between the needs  and wants of various global communities, with the inherent clash between the two deriving from the "product of our own imperfect understanding of nature, of our ignorance of how to  harmonize our activities with the worlds script" (Nehamas 40). Western culture learned a great deal about the separation between wants and needs when consumerism came into existence. The vicious  cycle that exists within the framework of consumerism -- the perpetual wanting of more and more materialistic tangibles until there is nothing left to appreciate -- resides within each and