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The pop-sci wisdom is that what you get from the hypothalamus is a generalized primal desire. It may be triggered by thirst, but you experience it as a longing for food, sex, or sleep instead. Sometimes all of the above.

When you feel like this, you can recognize that thirst is also a likely explanation, and reach for water quickly and cheaply as a debugging step. At least rule it out before making tradeoffs to placate more expensive needs.