Pragmatic is the study of human language interaction, how we use words to communicate and understand one another. It looks beyond the literal meaning of a word to examine the implied, unspoken, and hidden meaning behind the spoken words as well as the context of the word. It also analyzes the relationship between language and human intention. It is the most important field in linguistics and a fundamental tool for everyday communication. Without the understanding of pragmatics, people would not be able to understand each other or get their point across.
Being pragmatic can be beneficial, as you are less likely to let yourself be emotionally affected by rejection or failure. You are able to weigh the pros and cons of each situation before taking action. This can help you make decisions that are more beneficial for yourself and others. Additionally, you are able to accept the fact that things don’t always work out, so you won’t be disappointed when something fails.
However, being pragmatic can be problematic because it makes you less tolerant of other people’s opinions and beliefs. This can lead to you becoming closed off and stubborn, so it’s important to balance your pragmatic side with your emotional side.
The philosophy of pragmatism focuses on the connection between thought and action. Many applied fields like public administration, political science, leadership studies, international relations, and conflict resolution have incorporated the tenets of pragmatism. It is a methodological approach that helps to develop practical solutions and theories to real world problems.
Although pragmatism’s roots are in American philosophy, it has spread to other parts of the world. Its influence has been felt in Scandinavia, South America, and central Europe. Many liberatory philosophical projects such as feminism, ecology, and Native American philosophy have used pragmatism as their intellectual home.
Classic pragmatists include John Dewey, Charles Sanders Peirce, and G. Herbert Mead. After Dewey, however, the movement lost momentum as analytic philosophy gained prominence in the United States.
Pragmatism has the power to transform your life by teaching you how to be more open minded and less judgmental. It will also teach you to appreciate the small victories in your life and not be so hard on yourself when you fail at something. It will also allow you to become more resilient in the face of criticism, so you won’t take defeat as personally.
By suspending questions of the final truth and focusing on how research results are useful, pragmatism can be an effective methodology for time-pressured academic researchers. This is especially true for doctoral students who are required to create new knowledge in a relatively short amount of time. Choosing to work with a pragmatic mindset can be a great way to reduce stress and improve the overall quality of your dissertation.