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Evren's picture

Need vs. Want

During group discussion there was a small disagreement regarding the needs and wants of humans. Do people need an overarching truth, even if artificially created (since there is no truth), or do they simply want one in order to organize their lives? One may argue that an overarching truth is necessary for our civilization to progress and develop, but how can one define progression and development objectively? Is progression defined by harnessing science to make new gadgets that make lives easier? (Or does technology more often than not really complicate our lives?) Is development defined by making medical discoveries that increase our life expectancy? As amazing as the human brain is, its abilities are finite, which is why people naturally try to categorize everything they encounter. Does this then suggest that having an overarching truth is a need, because the brain's ability is limited and a lack of truth is too much for it to comprehend? Or do we just want a goal in our lives; something to keep us busy as we slowly expire?

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