Pragmatic is the way we adapt our communication with others based on cultural and situational factors. Having good pragmatic skills is vital for building healthy relationships, as well as thriving in academic or professional settings. It’s about understanding social cues, taking turns in conversations, and following established rules for effective interaction. Without the right pragmatic abilities, we can find ourselves struggling to express ourselves and understand other people.
It’s often referred to as “the other side of semantics.” While syntax studies sentences, pragmatics looks at context. It attempts to define interesting types of speech acts and speech products, as well as characterize features of the discourse context that help us match up sentences with propositions. It also examines what we do when we’re unsure of which proposition a given sentence is meant to express.
This field has many sub-disciplines, including computational, theoretical, and experimental pragmatics; game-theoretical, clinical, and neuropragmatics; intercultural and cross-linguistic pragmatics; historical pragmatics and the history of pragmatics. A few major tenets of pragmatics that are important to know include:
A pragmatic approach emphasizes results and outcomes over specific values or principles. Kids learn to ask questions like, “What will happen if we do this?” or, “Is it the best solution?” They’re encouraged to try different approaches and see what works in the real world to become smart problem-solvers.
Applied to business, pragmatic thinking promotes the development of new products and services that meet customer needs. It’s a common sense strategy that considers the limitations of resources, time, money and other valuable business assets. It’s also an effective approach for solving problems and making decisions that ensure a company is running efficiently.
The pragmatic business leader recognizes that the landscape is changing at a rapid pace and stays aware of what customers, investors and employees are expecting from businesses. The most successful business leaders demonstrate a pragmatic attitude by creating innovative solutions that are cost-effective, efficient and productive.
For example, entrepreneur and CEO Elon Musk is known for his pragmatic approach to innovation. He’s been praised by investors for his ability to make decisions that benefit the long-term health of the company. Similarly, Malala Yousafzai, the Nobel Prize laureate and education activist, uses her pragmatic approach to advocacy work to improve the lives of girls around the world.
It can be challenging to apply pragmatic principles universally, because of the varying needs of individuals and situations. This flexibility can sometimes create ethical dilemmas. For instance, if a practical solution contradicts moral or ethical principles, adhering solely to pragmatic considerations can compromise ethical integrity.