Pragmatic refers to a person who takes a practical approach to life, decisions and relationships. They believe that it is more important to act, rather than think about what could happen. This approach to life can result in many positives, but it can also have negatives.
The term “pragmatic” originated with John Dewey (1828-1910), a prominent American philosopher who was an integral member of the Metaphysical Club (a circle of Harvard-educated intellectuals that included proto-pragmatist Chauncey Wright and future Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes). Dewey’s pragmatic philosophy is best known for his belief that “experience is the sole source of knowledge.” He emphasized this idea in his book Experience and Education (1916).
He went on to explain that experience is based on observation and interaction with reality. This includes a person’s perception of events, which is influenced by their culture, environment and upbringing. It is also affected by a person’s past experiences and how those experiences are processed.
This type of philosophical perspective, which focuses on interaction and practical application, is an excellent model to follow for anyone seeking success in life. Pragmatists are often seen as people of action, who are not afraid to step outside their comfort zone and take risks in order to reach their goals. These are the people who are likely to make great entrepreneurs and successful leaders in business and other industries.
However, this pragmatic approach can lead to some challenges, especially when it comes to relationships and work. For example, pragmatists tend to be more analytical and less emotional, which can cause some friction between them and others. Additionally, they often lack the ability to understand why a more thoughtful person may hesitate to move forward with a project or task. This can lead to misunderstandings and conflict when two such different people are working together on a professional project.
Pragmatism can be difficult to apply to some subjects, such as advanced mathematics or theoretical physics. These types of subjects require a more structured plus systematic instructional approach, which can be difficult to adapt to a pragmatist framework. Nevertheless, it is still possible to use the principles of pragmatism in these subjects while maintaining rigor and depth of content.
In the research world, a pragmatist research method is one that is flexible and adaptive to changing circumstances. This type of research aims to collect pertinent data from actual observations, and then uses concepts from existing fields of knowledge to develop propositions (deduction) or test them with new data and observations (induction). This is called abductive reasoning. This enables the researcher to move closer and closer to a theory. The pragmatist research process is often compared to agile software development. It is a methodology that can be used by educators to help students develop problem-solving skills and learn through practical hands-on activities. This can help improve pragmatic skills and allow students to have the tools they need for success in all areas of their lives.
