Pragmatism is defined as the pursuit of practicality over aesthetic qualities. It is a concentration on facts rather than ideals or emotions.
Humans tend to be very emotional rather than rational when making decisions, we ditch our intellectualism for sentimentalism and favoritism when confronted with dire situations. We can see the fault in the decision making of others but will repeat the same mistakes if put in their shoes.
It is easy to put oneself at either end of the spectrum of optimism or pessimism, but sometimes, neither is completely sufficient. Emotional intelligence is sometimes being able to trade either optimism or pessimism for pragmatism.
There is nothing wrong with being positive every time, just as importantly, we should know when to take off our rose-tinted glasses and look at the world differently. We should learn to analyze and weigh risk aright, to accurately tell if the end result is worth the amount of effort we are putting in or if the time has come to clean out our desk.
Christianity or our choice of faith or the lack of it should not be a substitute for pragmatism. God gave us wisdom and he expects us to use it as appropriate, he made us gain knowledge and is happy when we apply it, he gave us understanding with the intention that we use it to the fullest.
Pragmatism is not sacrificing your emotional and mental well-being for the sake of unreciprocated love; It is refusing to invest in a “sure” business with a friend because of him showing signs of a lack of financial discipline; It is quitting a friendship that is always pulling you into acts you have vowed to quit; It is choosing to leave when you are sure the ovation would never get louder than it currently is; It is giving your best always, yet knowing when your best will never be enough.
Pragmatism is knowing when to quit the fight today so you can live to fight another day.

Wilson Joshua is a Video Editor, Content Creator and Creative Writer.
Follow him on Twitter and Instagram. @IJoswil

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