Every individual on this planet has some need or the other - then be it from another individual or a materialistic need or dependency on something else. But there are essentially two types of needs. One that crops out of necessity and the other is a compulsive one.
How does one then distinguish between these two forms of needs - necessity and compulsive need?
Let's take the case of the ongoing pandemic. Recently, during the last week, many metropolitan regions across India started facing a severe crisis. Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and many cities of the likes witnessed an outburst in the number of cases of Covid 19.
Many news channels and leading papers started hinting towards a similar lockdown like situation from last year in this rising crisis. This lead to fear and anxiety for many. While for some, it was a genuine concern for a few others the concern was that if the shops are shut, where will they get their alcohol from?
In such a situation, I witnessed many alcohol stores here in Bangalore being queued up! It was a crisis for those individuals. And, from their vantage point, it did appear so real. However, the other crisis that is going on is the lack of oxygen in hospitals in several cities. While there have been efforts to resolve this issue, the issue (and concern) is quite genuine.
It is only the one who maintains a distance from their situation to look at themselves can distinguish between what qualifies as a necessity and what qualifies as a compulsive need.
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