Is there a differences between wanting and craving for something?

Something had caught my attention as I was reading today. It said that it is when we "crave" that we bring hardship to ourselves. At first I thought it made a lot of sense but then after some thought, I got confused.

What are there differences between wanting something and craving for something?

Is there a certain point when a "wanting" turns into a "craving"?
In life we want so much for ourselves but with life we're not in control of the cards that are dealt to us. It is when we recognize this, is when we should accept it for what it is and move on. But it is when we become resistant to acceptance, our wanting turns into a craving that could never be fulfilled.

I'm open-minded to any inputs from others.

i don't see it that way. i "crave" ice cream. i don't "crave" a trip to Mexico. i want to go to Mexico but i can't right now. i am very accepting of that. i "crave" a trip to the Navajo reservation and although i can't go right now, i'm not out of joint over it and don't feel as if i'm not resistant to acceptance of not being able to do what i crave. make sense? i'm older than dirt...so i might be seeing things from a different perspective than you.....plus i should be in bed and not up reading yet another novel and reading posts...when it's quiet and serene here.........p

for me there is a difference When I WANT something its ok I want that but its not necessary and I can take it or leave it.

where as CRAVE something - that is all I can think about there is no take or leave it feeling to it

Its I NEED it right now and no I CAN'T do with out it and Im going to find a way because I have to have it. nothing else will work and I know what I am missing out on because I have had or done that needed thing before and dang it Im going to have it.

Kind of like being pregnant and needing to eat a certain food. It doesnt go away the needing it only continues to get stronger until I get it.

I basically agree with fayerody. To me, a craving is a more intense wanting. You can satisfy a craving. I don't see it as something that can't be fulfilled.

You know what they say: The best way to get rid of a temptation, is to give in to it!

i want to be healty. i crave treats (dark chocolate/books/yard sales) to keep me happy til i figure out how to get my wants.

if i were healthy, i would still "need" my treats.... are cravings hard wired? are wants flexible? Hmmmmmmmmmm.

Lets see.......to me, there are many things that I want.....they are things that I would like to have in my life....things I think might even make my life easier or give me a sense of satisfaction.

A craving to me is something I have to have.....I can't take a no answer & will do anything to get what it is that I crave.....& I mean.....DO ANYTHING. Like when I was pregnant. I came home from one of my college night classes. I had to have BBQ potato chips. I needed the taste of BBQ potatoe chips....I couldn't stand not being able to eat the junk food I had kept out of my live for the past 9 months. It was after midnight.....& I sent my husband to the store to get me a bag of BBQ potatoe chips. I sat down & ate the whole package. I was somewhat satisfied when I ate my last crumb.....but still could have eaten more.......I so enjoyed every moment of the satisfaction of my craving. Sometimes, my cravings will continue after it is first satisfied & will continue having to satisfy the craving until it goes away.

The funny part of the BBQ potatoe chip craving was that I woke up in the night with horrible cramping feeling. I thought I was having food poisoning or maybe the greasy potatoe chips didn't set well after so long of keeping that kind of food out of my body. The feeling continued into the morning & then the sick to my stomach hit. I ended up calling my Gyn & he had me come in immediately.......duh.....I was already 7 1/2 cm dialated (& I was to have a c-section). How silly could I be.....but no one told me what labour would feel like.

For me, cravings are something I just can't live without & will do anything to get. A want is something I would like to have, but isn't something I can't live without.

Wonder what our great dictionary would give as the definitions: (I just looked it up)
A want is something we desire grately.......a crave is something we intensely desire.

Sounds like the difference is defined by the level of how much we actually want something. When we can live without it, but would like it, it is a want. If we can't live without it & want it intensely, more than anything else, it becomes a crave.

The terms are used for other meanings also, but think that this meaning is what we were looking at here.

Hurray for internet definitions,
Debbie

For me, there is a difference, but not sure that craving is bad all the time.

Wanting is normal... day to day desires... etc.. sometimes we do want things that are not good for us, and if it's "only" a want, we can control ourselves and determine if it's worth it.

Craving is the stronger wanting, imo. It's an intense desire... and can be a good thing to have to draw something into your life that you do want and maybe need. It's when it's part of a disorder, trying to replace unhappiness with things... a compulsive desire... that it can be negative, imo.

Yes, it hurts....i think different character handle this differently,,,,childhood influences a lot...