By Zile Singh

Need is something required for a safe, stable, and healthy life. Food, clothes, and shelter are the basic needs of all human beings. Without these, human survival is painful. Therefore, basic needs should be the most fundamental rights of everyone. From the beginning of human evolution, man has prioritized his needs in the above-mentioned order.   In history, many men have reached the pinnacle of heights in different walks of life only when at least their basic needs were fulfilled. Necessity is one of the synonyms of need. About the need or necessity, it is said, “Necessity is the mother of invention.” Also, “Necessity breaks iron.” The expanded and unbridled needs become greed. The needs are finite, whereas desires and greed are infinite. A Chinese proverb states, “Man’s heart is never satisfied; the snake would swallow the elephant.” Greed leads to a devilish nature because it is hard for a greedy eye to have a Leal heart. (Leal means honest). 

In regard to needs and greed, Mahatma Gandhi, an apostle of non-violence and a down-to-earth, practical man, said, “The Earth provides enough to satisfy every man’s needs, but not every man’s greed.” In his personal life, he set an example by wearing as few clothes as possible and eating as little food as necessary. Mind it; he never advocated, “Go as bare as you dare.” Most of the time, he practiced restraints even in speech. He had a routine of fasting also. The fact is that acquiring material things beyond need is nothing less than creating a junkyard in your house. Greediness, in any respect, is harmful. About food, “Many dishes, many diseases, many medicines, few cures.” – Benjamin Franklin. And “Greedy eaters dig their graves with their teeth.” – French proverb. Informally, ‘need something like a hole in the head- is used to emphasize that someone has absolutely no need or desire for something. 

Present-day consumerism has expanded beyond the limits of our needs. The sales and marketing managers are in galore. The aim of selling is to satisfy a customer’s needs, and the aim of marketing is to figure out his greed. Successful marketing has all its focus on how the greed of the customers can be exploited through all sorts of advertisements and periodic sales. A game of numbers is displayed in the form of 50, 70, or even 80 percent discount or “buy one, get one free” to attract customers. Year-round sales have attracted the masses to such an extent that they buy things which, most of the time, in fact, are not required at all. They buy it because it is cheaper in sale. 

Now let us think as to how much ‘stuff’ we need in our homes. Some objects are for common use and placed at a particular place in the house. Other stuff we acquire is for the personal use of every house member. Although all of these things we own are lifeless objects, we become attached to them. Can you think of throwing away that obsolete piece of furniture, a faded shirt, a worn-out pair of shoes, even some old greeting cards, or that teddy bear you still keep on your bed, just because you have had it since your childhood? Somehow, the answer is a bold ‘No.’ On the contrary, we go on adding to our limited space more things without disposing of the old and unused stuff. Gradually, the living space is reduced, and it becomes difficult to move around in the house comfortably. “A clean space equals a clean mind.” So, before buying any item, make a place for it by disposing of an old one. ‘The iron not used soon rusts.’ – Romanian proverb. Before you go to a sale, keep your eyes open: a sale is a sale. “A buyer needs a hundred eyes, the seller but one.” – George Herbert. 

According to a rough estimate by the United Nations, the world’s 20% rich consume 77% of the resources; the 60% middle class consumes 21%, and the 20% poor consume just 2%. Actually, 98% of consumption by the rich and middle class is not consumption as per their needs but can be termed insatiable greed and flagrant wastage. These consumption patterns show that it is not to meet everyone’s needs, but it is an indicator of inequality between the rich and the poor. 

This consumption pattern has put a great strain on the environment also. In different religions, frugality is one of the virtues. “Better shake out the sack than start a full bag.” – It means that if you have an object, do not buy a new one. Also, “Spend not where you may save; spare not where you must spend.” Buy, when there is a need. Finally, RRR “Reduce, Reuse and Recycle” is a very useful formula from financial and environmental angles. The question is, what we, as individuals, and as a society can do to lessen the burden on the earth through our small day-to-day actions? Let us do our small bit to make the world a cleaner and healthier place by focusing on our basic needs and restricting our unlimited greed. It would be a significant step toward saving the environment.

“You don’t need a silver fork to eat good food.” – Paul Prudhomme 

Food, clothing, and shelter are our basic need.

Man, a sophisticated animal, has much greed.

Zile Singh is a well respected Columnist, Writer and a Vipassana Meditater. He has a Post-Graduate Diploma in Human Rights.  He can be reached at zsnirwal@yahoo.ca