Are unmet needs an oxymoron?

Unsettling thoughts in the shower this morning... What exactly is an unmet need, and why are so many people / companies fixated on satisfying them?

Everybody talks about helping companies uncover their customers' unmet needs. I've been guilty of it myself. The term has become commonplace across many industries as well as across multiple disciplines. As far as I know, no one has ever questioned it's meaning, so I should probably leave well enough alone.

For some reason, I couldn't shake this question while in the shower this morning. When you think about it, we all have needs. Sometimes we can buy a product or service that alleviates those needs, at which time the need (by definition) goes away. I guess it is safe to say that need has been satisfied. Does that make it a "met need"? Once a need has been met, it is no longer a need...

When we help companies focus on innovation for their consumers, we look for opportunity space by focusing on their likes, dislikes, processes, and attitudes. But how do we distinguish between "unmet needs" and regular needs?

Literally speaking, I'm thinking the phrase "unmet needs" is like a double negative used in a sentence (E.g. "I won't not be there tomorrow" means "I will be there"). If that is the case, then does unmet need literally mean there is no need?

I'm going to do two things moving forward. First, I'm going to start focusing only on consumer needs (not unmet needs). Second, I'm going to try to think of more interesting topics in the shower...