Pragmatic is an approach to life that emphasizes practical solutions for real-world problems. It prioritizes action over theory, and encourages open-mindedness to beliefs and ideas. However, it could lead to short-term gains at the expense of long-term consequences, and it doesn’t guarantee success or happiness.
Developing pragmatic skills can help people better express their ideas and feelings to others. These abilities, commonly acquired during adolescence, allow adults to adapt their communication techniques to different circumstances and follow social norms when interacting with other people. Pragmatic skills include knowing how to politely hedge a request, cleverly read between the lines and navigate ambiguity in conversation.
A person who is pragmatic can make sound decisions based on practical outcomes and limited information. They can also assess their own and other’s perspectives to find a solution that will work best in each situation. This perspective is useful for achieving results in a business setting, as it can be used to prioritize immediate needs over longer-term goals and avoid costly mistakes.
For example, a craftsman might decide to hammer a nail without using a sledgehammer because the task will likely be completed faster and more accurately with a chisel. Alternatively, a student might spend extra time preparing for an exam by poring over textbooks and analyzing previous test results in order to master the topics on the upcoming quiz. Choosing the most efficient strategy in each scenario helps the craftsman finish the job with minimal time and effort, while the student ensures that they will do their best on the test.
Pragmatism can help businesses develop products that customers want to buy. By identifying customer needs and creating a prototype that meets these requirements, businesses can then use the feedback from beta groups to improve the product even further. This process is similar to agile software development, which requires companies to continuously test and rework their products until they’re ready to be released to the public.
Pragmatism can also help researchers overcome limitations in their study design and methodology. By emphasizing the importance of achieving practical, real-world outcomes, this philosophy can guide research methods and help eliminate redundancies in data collection (e.g., by avoiding double-blinding). This may be particularly useful in studies that explore issues related to social justice or health equity. Moreover, by placing value on the need for an empirical approach to social science research, pragmatism can help create an environment in which social justice principles are integrated into everyday practice. Ultimately, the pragmatist perspective can promote a more holistic approach to research and foster collaborative partnerships between researchers and their communities of interest.