Pragmatic
I read an entire book yesterday. It was a glorious way to spend a cold Sunday. I only wish the darn thing wasn't so intense. Now I can't stop thinking about it. Why was it intense? It hit a little too close to home.
I found myself truly understanding what the main character was going through and feeling. Not in the kind of way that books usually do, I mean, who would continue reading a book they couldn't relate to or at least understand what was going on? But in ways that I would never reveal. Emotions and thoughts that I had never, and surely couldn't ever share with anyone. Even Ell. The kind of things that if I were to meet the author face-to-face, we wouldn't be able to talk about. I wouldn't be able to thank him because that would expose too much of myself and by accepting my thanks would force him to admit the book was about him and not made up. Even though it was fiction, it was the kind of book that could only be written through experience. It was an eye-opener.
Aside from that, in the book I found a word that I was sure I should have known the meaning but couldn't form the definition in my head. So Ell looked it up for me. The word was pragmatic.
prag-mat-ic
–adjective
1. of or pertaining to a practical point of view or practical considerations.
2. Philosophy. of or pertaining to pragmatism (def. 2).
3. of or pertaining to pragmatics (defs. 1, 2).
4. treating historical phenomena with special reference to their causes, antecedent conditions, and results.
5. of or pertaining to the affairs of state or community.
6. Archaic.
a. busy; active.
b. officious; meddlesome; interfering.
c. dogmatic; opinionated.–noun
7. pragmatic sanction.
8. Archaic. an officious or meddlesome person.
The main character called his father that. Upon reading the definition I wonder if I'm that. I know I already said I was relating to the main character, but this seemed familiar as well.
So I ask you who know me well, am I pragmatic?
I guess I also want to ask those who don't me well, do you think or do I seem from the window I've opened for you here, that I'm pragmatic?
I'm rather curious to see.
I found myself truly understanding what the main character was going through and feeling. Not in the kind of way that books usually do, I mean, who would continue reading a book they couldn't relate to or at least understand what was going on? But in ways that I would never reveal. Emotions and thoughts that I had never, and surely couldn't ever share with anyone. Even Ell. The kind of things that if I were to meet the author face-to-face, we wouldn't be able to talk about. I wouldn't be able to thank him because that would expose too much of myself and by accepting my thanks would force him to admit the book was about him and not made up. Even though it was fiction, it was the kind of book that could only be written through experience. It was an eye-opener.
Aside from that, in the book I found a word that I was sure I should have known the meaning but couldn't form the definition in my head. So Ell looked it up for me. The word was pragmatic.
prag-mat-ic
–adjective
1. of or pertaining to a practical point of view or practical considerations.
2. Philosophy. of or pertaining to pragmatism (def. 2).
3. of or pertaining to pragmatics (defs. 1, 2).
4. treating historical phenomena with special reference to their causes, antecedent conditions, and results.
5. of or pertaining to the affairs of state or community.
6. Archaic.
a. busy; active.
b. officious; meddlesome; interfering.
c. dogmatic; opinionated.–noun
7. pragmatic sanction.
8. Archaic. an officious or meddlesome person.
The main character called his father that. Upon reading the definition I wonder if I'm that. I know I already said I was relating to the main character, but this seemed familiar as well.
So I ask you who know me well, am I pragmatic?
I guess I also want to ask those who don't me well, do you think or do I seem from the window I've opened for you here, that I'm pragmatic?
I'm rather curious to see.
posted by Sam at 12:24 PM
6 Comments:
First of all, what was the book? I have a guess, but I'm not entirely sure.
Secondly, that definition of pragmatic seems to hold a lot of different meanings.
I'm going to go with yes, based on the following numbers: 1 and 6 A & C.
Kimmy, for many of the reasons I wrote about in the post, I'll keep the book title under wraps for now.
In response to your, "yes" and its direct connection to me... do you find those positive, negative, or neutral traits? And as for 6 a & c, do you think it possible to be only two out of three subsets? The reason I ask is that a & c can be used to describe a good vibing fellow but to apply b sounds like a royal jerk. :-)
I was going to comment earlier and didn't. Now I just sound like a Kimmy stalker.
Pragmatic does seem to be an ambiguous word. I find that the positive and neutral traits do reflect the bits of you I've seen - the 'royal jerk' aspects - not so much. You're practical and opinionated, but not meddlesome and interfering.
Oooh, I love stalkers Adrienne!
Yes, it's most definitely possible. I left out B because you are not a royal jerk;-)
My "understanding" (what I think the word means when i hear it reference to a person) would be mostly along the lines of the the first (#1) definition you. In my mind it is closely related to "practical" and as such I consider the word "neutral".
And it not be a word I would have used to describe you.
But I could have the definition all wrong and now you are probably offended that I don't consider you a "practical" person...
Dave, being called "practical" I take as a compliment. My Dad calls me his "satisfied" child which I also take as a compliment. Most people think those are synonomous with "simple" which equates to simple-minded. I bet most people would argue my brain is anything but simple, so I don't take offense to any of those definers. Thank you, Lord, that I'm not complex. :-)
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