Are needs the same as values?
No. Needs, wants, and values are related, but they are not identical.
A need is a statement of fact about a requirement: X needs Y for goal Z. A human being needs food, water, sleep, and some level of safety to live and function. A lifter needs enough recovery to adapt to training. A child needs reliable care to develop well. A need is not just a very intense want; it is a requirement relative to a real goal or condition.
A want is a desire: a fact about your mental state. You may want pizza, reassurance, praise, sex, comfort, novelty, or escape. Wants matter because they reveal something about your psychology, but they do not automatically prove that the object wanted is good, necessary, or worth acting on.
A value can mean three related things. It can mean something life actually requires, such as health, reason, sleep, or nutrition. It can mean something you profess to care about, such as strength, marriage, parenting, art, philosophy, or excellent work. Or it can mean something you actually act to gain or keep, which reveals your operative priorities, which economists call "revealed preferences". If you say you value health but consistently sacrifice sleep, training, and nutrition for late-night scrolling, your stated values and revealed values are not yet aligned.
When deciding what to do, ask three questions: "Is a real need at stake?", "What do I want?", and "What values should govern my action?"
You may need rest, want to skip the gym, and value long-term strength. The right response might be a nap, a lighter workout, an earlier bedtime, or a difficult conversation about workload. Instead of suppressing wants or inflating them into needs, both wants and needs must be integrated under a clear hierarchy of values.