When did people start wanting things they didn't need?

Question

for early humans life was about survival what they wanted were things to make suravival easier. what happened to begin surface desires for things that were not really needed?

Answer 1

When Eve convinced Adam to bite the apple.

Answer 2

Well, actually, when Man first walked the Earth. People have always wanted things that were not really needed. Otherwise, there would be no cultivated flowers, no art works left behind.
Get some books such as "The Neanderthal's Necklace" and books about Turkey before the flood. It's amazing how much stuff people pack around that they DID NOT NEED.

Answer 3

Materialistic needs is probably what we have now, because some of us haven't lived the hard life where the essential but basic things didn't come that easy. I think it's technology as well that makes us this way, because with the cooler stuff that's coming out, we're not paying attention to what we really need. We give less value to the things that we're lucky to have, such as food, shelter, clothing, and so we get more things that are unnecessary because we take the basic needs for granted.

Answer 4

After we didn't need to go hunting, and everything was a lot easier. Plus, when a lot of people have something, and one person doesn't have it, they want it to feel accepted by everyone else.
Or they just follow whatever other people do, like dye their hair, and get a new phone that they saw on TV because they want to show off, and feel above others, wich makes you feel powerful or important which makes you feel good, and almost mo one can resistthe allure of power, which causes greed, which got us to where we are now.
Its human nature to want, and when it become possible to get something, like power, almost no one would be willing to pass on the chance. If you are close to being king, and all you had to do to have the throne was kill someone, soem peoepl will.

Answer 5

I can only imagine....the first time an ancestor picked up a rock or a feather that intrigued them and they kept them as personal possessions...seeing the different fur of animals and desiring to have the pelt for their clothing,bed,or home...or meeting other groups of people whom had better constructed walking sticks, knives, woven baskets or pottery...
Having certain pelts was a status symbol of power even way back when, and having personal possessions of necessity "spruced up" with feathers, rocks, etc.,. made them become individuals that others may look upon and admire their possessions...or, for nothing else than it pleases their OWN eye...
LOL life never changes :)

Answer 6

I think the desire has always been there as a part of the human nature, but as survival became easiser and easier we had to find other things to keep us entertained.

Answer 7

From my point of view, I believe that what you are asking about is a part of human nature. If you study the anthropology of "primitive" cultures, you will see that even early humans wanted things that they didn't need. Did the Neanderthals "need" jewelry? Did the Pygmies "need" body paint?

Answer 8

When they had everything they need.
But I also feel that it has something to do with inequality. Because you really want something when you know that there is something else available that you can have and it's in the possession of someone else, but not in your possession. So the person gets greedy and wants what the other person wants and it keeps going on and on.
It's connected with origin of inequality and for that I have to refer you to Rousseau. He said that the origin of inequality is when the first man said "This [whatever 'this' might be] is mine!"

Answer 9

I guess you haven't seen the prehistoric grave goods containing beaded necklaces and the like. I'm sorry. Those weren't for survival...ritual maybe...but not survival. I think humans have always had that genetic tendency.

Answer 10

People have ALWAYS wanted things they don't need. Always. It's just that now, since the industrial age, more people have the means to purchase things they don't need.

History shows that people in power have always taken more than they need and people have always done unnecessary things and wanted unnecessary things.

Answer 11

As early humans traded and began to develop forms of money for exchanging goods, I would disagree with your contention.


My cave would have been nicer than yours. I would have had better paintings in my cave.