how can I need less?

Question

The truly rich is not how has the most but who needs the least,

is there any way I can do this.

Answer 1

The first step is learning the difference between 'needs' and 'wants'. We 'need' air to breathe but we 'want' it to be clean.
We 'need' water to drink so we will survive, we 'want' it to be free of contaminants.

If you can learn to spot the difference between the things you need in life and the things you want in life, you will find that most of the things you currently list as needs will suddenly become wants and therefore no longer important.

Answer 2

By wanting less. You have to temper your desires and find contentment in life. You can cultivate this contentment by deeply contemplating what you have (a life, a functioning body, time, a skillful mind, and so on) and what you meet and see (friends, family, trees, rainbows, beautiful sunsets, poetry, music, whatever). If you can come to the point where you see everything you have as impermanent and temporary like the rainbows and the beautiful sunsets, then you can also diminish your grasping and desires, which means you will appreciate everything you have and meet more fully, which strengthens your feelings of contentment, and so more and more stop missing what you don't have.

Answer 3

Try going only for what you cannot do without - wanting only what you REALLY need.
Actually we have a lot, some even too much, but having grown a habit of getting whatever we want, whether we need it or not, we have turned desires into necessities, and since there is no end to desires, we always feel we don't have enough.

Answer 4

Distinguishing between want and need is important. Eastern philosophies would consider this a an issue of 'tanha' or craving.

The antidote to needing is to acknowledge what you do have rather than what you don't have.

Answer 5

A wise soul once told me that all you truly need is food, shelter & company.

Another wise soul said that the key to happiness all life long is nothing more than wine, women & song.

Answer 6

i dont want to say its simple but its certainly worth a try.
to need less is just to minimize your needs. sounds dumb but think about it.
always ask yourself twice- "do i really really need this?"
or "can i live without this?" or "am i ever going to use it more than once?"
to need less is to minimize all your luxuries. to live off what you truly NEED to live with. food, water, shelter.
see what i mean?
hope i made sense.

Answer 7

Want Less.
There are two ways of being rich; having more money or living more simply.

Answer 8

Lead a simple life I guess, so the need would be less.

Answer 9

You will know how you can need less when you learn how to be happy with what you have. It is not how much you have, but how much you enjoy what you have.

Answer 10

Love.