Hello, dear readers of the KtoNaNovenkogo.ru blog. In 2011, according to the American Merriam-Webster Dictionary, the concept of “pragmatic” became the word of the year.
This conclusion was made based on online queries. Their impressive number confirmed not only the popularity of the concept, but also the gaps in understanding its essence.
Despite the prevalence of the word, even today not everyone knows for certain: what is pragmatic? It's time to sort everything out.
Pragmatism, pragmatists and pragmatism - what is it?
According to linguists, the word “pragmatism”, together with its cognates, came to us through the mediation of the English language, but at the same time has ancient Greek origins: “pragma” in translation means “ action”, “deed” , “benefit” (Greek. ).
Initially, this term was philosophical, so dictionaries primarily reflect the meaning of pragmatism in the aspect of this science. Here it became a “new trend”, a contrast to classical philosophy, which was too abstract and divorced from the realities of life.
In a philosophical sense, pragmatism is a doctrine or approach based on the study of effective and useful action as the main form of human activity, as well as on the mechanisms of human consciousness that provide this action.
A related concept “pragmatics” is found in linguistics , and in two meanings at once: in a broad sense as a condition for the existence of language, and also as a discipline that studies these conditions.
In historical science, pragmatism is a direction where, in addition to describing what is happening, emphasis is placed on the motivations of individuals (politicians, generals, etc.) that led to these events.
In everyday, everyday meaning, pragmatism is a life strategy based on building views and actions based on practical benefits and obtaining positive results.
The dictionary of synonyms supplements the meaning of the word “pragmatism” with the following concepts:
- utility;
- earthiness;
- practicality;
- instrumentalism;
- caution.
A supporter of the above ideas is called a pragmatist - both in the scientific-philosophical and in the everyday sense.
Accordingly, pragmatism is a character trait inherent in a pragmatist.
For a pragmatically minded person, all judgments are in the practical area. He is a man of action. But this is brief, and we will talk about such people in more detail below.
History of pragmatism: from philosophy to everyday life
This philosophical movement originated in America, which is not surprising: Americans are a practical nation that Hegel’s objective idealism and other components of the philosophical “classics” could not satisfy.
However, to do without basic teaching entirely, as the French say, is “not comme il faut.” This is how pragmatism emerged. Its founder is considered to be Charles Peirce, who outlined the main ideas of “ down-to-earth philosophy ” in his works.
Peirce's ideas were developed by William James and John Dewey. The latter proposed considering experience as the main philosophical concept. In general, this science was given the role of a tool for improving the social and cultural life of people. Therefore, the second name of Dewey's concept is instrumentalism.
Richard Rorty went even further from classical philosophy, proposing to completely abandon universal ideas and methods - and it’s not far from abstraction! There are specific situations, and you need to focus on them (on the context, in other words). This doctrine came to be called contextualism.
Over time, the concept of “pragmatism” migrated into everyday life. Now it is used not only by philosophers, but by pragmatists in the modern sense - these are not necessarily supporters of the teachings of Charles Peirce. They may not even be aware of its existence.
What is a pragmatic person?
Pragmatic people are distinguished by qualities that give reason to consider them strong personalities, while at the same time admiring, envying, and sometimes disliking them.
- Independent management of your life without “swimming” with the flow. A pragmatic person will not hope that life will put everything in its place. He relies on his own strength, not relying on “zigzags of luck”, karmic predisposition and the Moon in Capricorn.
- A clear definition of life guidelines, goals and objectives, active movement forward with maximum concentration on business. A pragmatist does not dream, but plans.
- Avoidance of random actions. Everything that such a person undertakes is, in fact, a step towards turning a goal into a result. For example, he will not get an education just for the sake of a diploma. A pragmatist does not scatter his efforts.
- Understanding the value of time as a non-renewable resource, respectful attitude towards it. You can learn time management from a pragmatist. Deadlines are a way of life for him.
- Logical mindset, rejection of idealism in any form. A pragmatic person strives to find a reasonable explanation for everything. Phrases from the series “what is to be, cannot be avoided”, “got off on the wrong foot”, “apparently, not destiny” are an empty phrase for him.
- The ability to take advantage of current circumstances. Such people will not sit idly by waiting for “better times.” The famous phrase about lemon and lemonade is about them.
A pragmatist is a person who looks at the world soberly. He is rarely disappointed because he is not fascinated (this applies to both events and people).
Unlike vulnerable and sensitive romantics, such people do not build sand castles, preferring more reliable materials.
Genetically and historically, a pragmatist is usually a man , but modern trends show an increase in the number of women with this type of thinking.
Who is a pragmatist?
A pragmatist is a person who is guided in his actions by practical considerations, but does not attach much importance to other values (such as beauty, justice, morality, ethics, etc.). From a philosophical point of view, a pragmatist is a supporter of pragmatism - the doctrine of practical value as the key criterion of significance and truth.
The words “pragmatism” and “pragmatist” are derived from the ancient Greek word “πράγμα” (pragma), which translates as “action”. That is, everything that is effective and produces some significant effect can be called pragmatic. Adherents of philosophical pragmatism propose not to waste time solving theoretical problems , but to engage exclusively in those matters that will bring measurable material benefits.
We will consider pragmatism as an everyday phenomenon, taking philosophical issues out of the equation. In everyday life, a pragmatist is a person whose all actions are aimed at obtaining practical results. He will not go with you to the roof to admire the night sky, but will go to bed in order to wake up early, because pragmatists value their time very much and know how to plan it competently and responsibly. They always know what result they expect to get by performing certain actions.
When choosing goals and objectives, a pragmatist is guided by practical considerations. His entrepreneurial spirit is not always liked by others, so he is often treated with condemnation. To be fair, it should be noted that such condemnation usually comes from people who prefer to complain about life and its injustice rather than solve problems in a timely manner. Often they simply envy a pragmatist who has better control over his own life and independently forms his own principles, without the need for imposed values.
Pros and cons of pragmatism
Healthy pragmatism is a personal quality that is natural to a person.
It developed historically, first in the struggle against natural factors for survival, and later in numerous vicissitudes associated with the distribution of social, power and other roles in society.
Our prehistoric ancestors, preparing to hunt large animals (elephants, bison, mammoths), tracked the herd in advance, prepared a trap, and sometimes chose a wounded animal or an animal that had strayed from the “collective” as a victim. It was a strategic plan built by primitive pragmatists, the strict adherence to which depended on who they would become today: successful hunters or prey.
Modern “mammoth hunting” does not imply such an unconditional alternative, but healthy pragmatism helps to focus on the main thing, set priorities correctly and achieve what you want.
Pragmatism encourages a person to complete what he started, improve, and be responsible for decisions made. In a number of moments it borders on professionalism.
In Russia, the attitude towards pragmatism is ambiguous, since it contradicts historically established collectivism. After all, the foundation here is individuality (individual choice, responsibility, success).
The persistent pursuit of a goal is sometimes considered bad manners even today, although there has been a shift in the opposite direction - a sharp surge of interest in the ideas of pragmatism at the level of the cult of a successful person , sweeping away everything that is “except” along the way. Somewhat in the American style, but what can you do, this is where this teaching came from.
Pragmatists are accused of coldness, callousness, and excessive prudence - and sometimes this is not without reason. They are demanding not only of themselves, but also of those around them, and are not prone to sentimentality, spontaneity and unjustified (from their point of view) risks.
Healthy pragmatism does not exclude the presence of elements of romance in life: these concepts should not become antonyms (what is that?), their task is to complement each other.
Pragmatism and commercialism
The negative attitude towards pragmatists is also explained by the fact that pragmatism is confused with commercialism (what is this?). And in vain: these are completely different concepts.
A pragmatist is a person who knows the value not only of himself, but also of those around him. He is capable of true friendship and love, he is not characterized by “trading” in interpersonal relationships, pettiness, hypocrisy (what is this?) and venality. Movement towards the intended goal does not occur at the expense of others, but by relying on one’s own strength.
Unlike a mercantile personality, a pragmatist is not always interested in material gain. His goal may also be moral satisfaction.
Such people also have an element of pragmatism in interpersonal relationships. Pragmatists are ready to sincerely care about loved ones, helping them (including financially), if they count on a similar attitude towards themselves.
But they will think twice before supporting a person who does not value benevolence and is unable to repay good with good. There is a very thin line here that separates pragmatism from commercialism, but we repeat - it exists.
As a rule, pragmatists are not mercantile, but there is a bit of selfishness in their actions.
Signs of a pragmatist
In the behavior of a pragmatist, characteristic features are clearly visible that evoke conflicting feelings among others. Some admire their responsibility, some envy their organization, and some condemn their maximalism, practicality and indifference to generally accepted values. You can recognize a pragmatist in yourself or someone you know by the presence of the following characteristics:
- Independence
. A pragmatic attitude towards life allows a person to understand the value of time at an early age. He prefers to do useful things, avoiding everything that he considers unnecessary. Thanks to this, he knows how to say “No!”, independently deciding what he will do and what he will not do. - Immune to influence
. A pragmatist often weighs the moral, aesthetic and other values offered to him by society and those around him. This habit already at an early age leads to the fact that he does not allow himself to be manipulated even by close people. In addition, he does not believe in all kinds of folk signs, firmly knowing that everything depends only on him. - Own life guidelines
. A pragmatist has no time to dream and think about the eternal. He determines all his goals and values for himself independently. - Thoughtfulness of actions
. A person with a pragmatic mindset does not like to waste time on random things. Almost every action he takes is actually a step towards achieving a very specific goal that he has set for himself. - Ability to value time
. A pragmatist is a calculating person who understands perfectly well that time is an irreplaceable resource. And since he always strives to optimize his actions, he manages this resource very competently. He always pays attention to planning his day, knowing that every minute spent will bear fruit. In addition to his time, he knows how to value other people's. - Developed logical and critical thinking
. A pragmatist notices at an early age that his value system diverges from the generally accepted one. Thanks to this, he learns to critically comprehend incoming information, rejecting unreliable facts and accepting logical and verifiable ones. - The ability to benefit from any circumstances
. He perceives any troubles as a valuable experience, so he does not allow himself to become limp, but begins to act more actively in order to quickly achieve his goal.
A pragmatist is almost always a skeptic, because he knows that every person is constantly in a stream of dubious information that needs to be filtered. Because of this, he has poor relationships with people who lack the ability to think critically. However, this is exactly the case when the problem is not with him, but with those who perceive his self-sufficiency too painfully.
Brief summary
The main idea of pragmatism is effective action, bridging the gap between theory and practice, therefore a pragmatic person is a man of reason who does not accept abstractness, is guided by the criterion of “useful-useless”, logic and common sense.
He sets realistic goals for himself, knows how to abstract from everything unnecessary and consistently achieves results.
It is only important that the concept of “excess” does not include fundamental life values: spirituality, family, love, friendship, self-development. Good luck to you! See you soon on the blog pages KtoNaNovenkogo.ru
How to cultivate pragmatism in yourself?
Despite some inconveniences, pragmatism is a useful trait that helps you achieve greater success and move more confidently towards your goals. And every person has the opportunity to form and develop this character trait. There are several simple exercises that you can do regularly to become a more pragmatic person:
1. Set a goal and think about it
. It is better to choose a simple task that will take no more than a couple of hours to complete. This could be cleaning the apartment, cooking a new dish, or a small project at work. Now, before you start solving the problem, think about the algorithm of your actions. Think about what steps can be optimized, what minor details can be eliminated in order to act more efficiently.
If you want to work on your ability to set goals correctly and achieve them, I recommend taking the “Goal Setting Course” from Vikium. This course will teach you not only to achieve your goals, but also to fulfill your plans, become more effective in work and life, fulfill your dreams, and stop wasting energy.
2. Get into the habit of planning for the future, not dreaming.
. We all periodically immerse ourselves in dreams of some desired future. These could be important changes in your personal life, career prospects, or a good vacation. Becoming more pragmatic doesn't have to mean giving up those dreams. It is enough to turn them into real planning. Start thinking in detail about how your dream will come true, why it will come true, and what actions you will need to take.
3. Bring every task you start to completion
. This is the most important habit of pragmatists, available to every person. Just train yourself not to give up on unfinished tasks. If a task seems too difficult, evaluate the potential benefits in advance and only take on it when it is truly rational.
4. Learn to be a tactician and strategist rolled into one
. Start planning how you will achieve certain goals and write down the necessary steps on paper. For example, if you are planning to buy a car, take a notepad and do the calculations. Calculate how much is missing and how long it will take to save it from your salary. If the period turns out to be too long, immediately consider and write down options that can significantly increase your income in the near future. Everything should be described in as much detail as possible.
