Well this says "shelter" is a basic need. You might not stop breathing instantly if you stand under blue sky, but in most part of the world you would, eventually. Not so, living without a cell phone. I have 4 billion examples of that to support my argument from people who lived long lives without cell phones.
"Be bold, and mighty forces will come to your aid."
Malcolm wrote:Man is a social creature. People who go off to live alone are ascetics or Unabombers. In the case of the former, they want to commune with god/nature/the universe/whatever; the latter with the voices in their head.
The Unabomber wrote letters and offered to stop killing in exchange for publication.
But that's not a definition. It's an arbitrary list of things. And since a cellphone is not shelter, a cellphone is not food, and a cellphone is not clothing then no, by that "definition" it's not a need.
But then neither is oxygen, apparently.
Not so, living without a cell phone. I have 4 billion examples of that to support my argument from people who lived long lives without cell phones.
I would make the same argument about clothing, yet it's still in your acceptable list. Why?
Edited By TPRJones on 1441907581
"ATTENTION: Customers browsing porn must hold magazines with both hands at all times!"
Holy shit, it is like I am talking to my kid when he was 5 but he was never this obtuse.
Show of hands, who thought my original wording was ambiguous? I didn't intend it to be, as I had no idea there would be any confusion between a "need" and a "want." If everyone didn't know what I meant, then I will just delete the thread or soemtrhing becasue I swear to god my head is about to explode.
"Be bold, and mighty forces will come to your aid."
But in all seriousness... I do need my phone. That line is very grey for need/want.
I want a better cell phone, but I need to have a cell phone.
If you want to draw the line as "essential for survival," then no - I don't need it. But it makes life easier/better/etc. I only really need: Food, water, sleep, air, warmth. Everything else is a want.
But that's stupid. The definition of need is not "essential for survival," because people need a lot of things for various reasons, particularly making life better.
You dont need a job that requires you to always be in touch. You want one.
I doubt that. I for one would be happy if my job would leave me alone. But what I want is an income higher than minimum wage, and to achieve that I need a phone with my work email on it.
Need as a general concept is relative to what you are specifically referring to. There are no absolutes when it comes to need.
If you want to talk about what a human needs for survival that's a different conversation than what a tree needs for survival, or what you need to maintain your current job, or what you need to keep your wife happy, or whatever other specific situation you might want to discuss. Some of those situations may include a cell phone. Most won't.
Edited By TPRJones on 1441929286
"ATTENTION: Customers browsing porn must hold magazines with both hands at all times!"
Diogenes of Sinope: "It is not that I am mad, it is only that my head is different from yours."
Arnold Judas Rimmer, BSC, SSC: "Better dead than smeg."
Hey, you're the one that specified "You don't stop breathing when your battery dies" in the original post to explain what needs are. And then linked something about clothing being a need. Far as I know nudists aren't generally in danger of suffocating because of a lack of clothes.