Outline three characteristics of basic human wants

What are basic wants?

​These are the essential needs in life such that one cannot do without them. They include food, shelter and clothing. They are satisfied before the secondary wants. They have the following characteristics;

• One cannot do without them;
• They’re felt needs;
• Cannot be postponed;
• They are satisfied before secondary wants.

Characteristics of basic human wants. (3mks)

• They are essential for survival
  humans need basic wants in order to survives. Resources such as air and water are very critical for survival.
• Insatiable
  ​human wants are endless (each cannot be satisfied once and for all) and they are also unlimited in number (satisfying one requires the other.)
• Competitive
  the unlimited human wants are to be satisfied using limited human wants. This necessitates choice of the wants to satisfy and those to forego;
• They are recurrent
  Satisfaction levels vary in time such that a need that has been fully satisfied in one point of time requires satisfaction in another point. Several hours after eating to the full, one feels hunger again.
• Varied intensity and urgency
  the intensity of need is different for different people and also in different time, gender, age, season, location and culture.
• Require resources
  it takes resources to satisfy human wants. Resources are always much less than the wants they need to satisfy;
• Complimentary
  Satisfying some wants may create a need for another related want. For instance, acquiring a shoe may create a need for polish and socks, buying a car may require fuel.
• Universal
  most human wants are common to all human wants, though in varying quantities and qualities;
• Habitual
  ​Many consumers tend to develop a taste of commodities they use more frequently, especially certain brands and also certain addictive commodities.

Food

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