Pragmatic people are those who value efficiency and practicality. They are direct and focus on tangible results, such as the successful treatment of a client in clinical hypnosis.
Pragmatism has also been defined as taking into account the consequences of one’s actions for all parties involved. For example, if a craftsman hammers a nail and it falls out of his hand while he’s on top of a scaffold, he is pragmatic enough to know that it would be a long haul to climb down, so he simply lets the tool fall off and continues working. Pragmatists are usually very successful as they do what needs to be done, focusing on real-world benefits rather than dreaming of some utopian ideal.
People who are pragmatic are often very observant and attentive to social and cultural norms. They pay attention to the subtleties of language such as context, tone, and meaning in order to understand what others mean by their words. This is known as linguistic pragmatics.
A person who is pragmatic is also not afraid to take on unpleasant tasks. They see these as worthwhile endeavors and are able to weigh the pros and cons of completing them. This is why pragmatic people tend to be very successful in their professional lives, as they are more likely to complete tasks that would be difficult or unenjoyable for someone less pragmatically inclined.
Unfortunately, many people who are pragmatic can be misunderstood by others who are not so inclined. It is not uncommon for pragmatists to have trouble understanding the emotional blocks and concerns that prevent someone else from taking on a task, and this can lead to a variety of interpersonal problems. This is especially true when two such different characters need to work together on a project.
It is therefore important for pragmatists to be mindful of the hesitancy of those around them. They should strive to be understanding of those who need to take more time, pause and reflect before making a decision, or who are not as comfortable with the technical aspects of a particular job. This will help reduce the amount of misunderstandings and friction that can occur between pragmatically and thoughtfully inclined people.
As a research philosophy, pragmatism is a methodology that allows researchers to design and conduct their research projects based on their own warranted beliefs about what might be expected to happen (Morgan 2014b). These beliefs are shaped by the researcher’s previous experiences and may or may not have any bearing on theoretical issues related to the research question being addressed.
For this reason, if you want to use pragmatism as a weighing mechanism or argumentative strategy in rounds, it is best to do so subtly and carefully. Invoking it as a direct and formal argument will most likely be counter-productive to your cause, as it can easily be dismissed by flow-purist judges who are looking for a rationale for preferring one side of the debate over another.
