Quotes about Pragmatism

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Edward Abbey

Artist, Author, Author

Among politicians and businessmen, *Pragmatism* is the current term for 'To hell with our children.'
Children - Future - Pragmatism
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Richard M. Nixon

Businessman, President, 37th U.S. President

Idealism without pragmatism is impotent. Pragmatism without idealism is meaningless. The key to effective leadership is pragmatic idealism.
Idealism - Key - Pragmatism
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Dalai Lama, XIV

Leader of the Gelug School of Tibetan Buddhism, Exiled Leader of Tibet

While it is all very well to distinguish happiness that is transient from that which is lasting, between ephemeral and genuine happiness, the only happiness it is meaningful to speak of when a person is dying from thirst is access to water.
Access - Death - Genuine - Lasting - Pragmatism - Speaking - Water - Wellness
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J. Robert Oppenheimer

Clergyman, Physicist, Theoretical Physicist

A pragmatist is concerned with results, not reality.
Pragmatism - Reality
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William James

Philosopher, Psychologist, Educator

From a pragmatic point of view, the difference between living against a background of foreigness (an indifferent Universe) and one of intimacy (a benevolent Universe) means the difference between a general habit of wariness and one of trust.
Benevolence - Indifference - Meaning - Pragmatism
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William James

Philosopher, Psychologist, Educator

The greatest discovery of my generation is that a human being can alter his life by altering his attitudes.
Human - Inspiration - Motivation - Positive - Pragmatism
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Gilbert K. Chesterton

Writer, Writer

Catholicism is not ritualism; it may in the future be fighting some sort of superstitious and idolatrous exaggeration of ritual. Catholicism is not asceticism; it has again and again in the past repressed fanatical and cruel exaggerations of asceticism. Catholicism is not mere mysticism; it is even now defending human reason against the mere mysticism of the Pragmatists.
Fighting - Human - Mysticism - Past - Pragmatism - Reason
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William James

Philosopher, Psychologist, Educator

The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another.
Anxiety - Calm - Care - Choice - Philosophy - Pragmatism - Relaxing - Stress
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Richard M. Nixon

Businessman, President, 37th U.S. President

Extremists on the left tend to be just as critical of pragmatism as extremists on the right.
Extremism - Pragmatism
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William James

Philosopher, Psychologist, Educator

Even if matter could do every outward thing that God does, the idea of it would not work as satisfactorily, because the chief callfor a God on modern men's part is for a being who will inwardly recognize them and judge them sympathetically. Matter disappoints this craving of our ego, so God remains for most men the truer hypothesis, and indeed remains so for definite pragmatic reasons.
Man - Pragmatism
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Aldous Huxley

Writer, Philosopher

Dream in a pragmatic way.
Pragmatism
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John Dewey

Philosopher, Psychologist, Educational Reformer

The theory of the method of knowing which is advanced in these pages may be termed pragmatic. ... Only that which has been organized into our disposition so as to enable us to adapt the environment to our needs and adapt our aims and desires to the situation in which we live is really knowledge.
Aiming - Dispose - Environment - Knowledge - Organizing - Pragmatism
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Simon Sinek

Historian, Author, Author

Pure pragmatism can't imagine a bold future. Pure idealism can't get anything done. It is the delicate blend of both that drives innovation.
Idealism - Imagination - Innovation - Pragmatism - Pure
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Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

Historian, Novelist

It was wrong to be too pragmatic, to judge people solely by results; it was more humane to judge by intentions.
Judging - Pragmatism
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Zig Ziglar

Politician, Author, Author

I've got to confess I'm a pragmatic optimist myself.
Optimism - Pragmatism
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Alan Watts

Philosopher

The self-styled practical man of affairs who pooh-poohs philosophy as a lot of windy notions is himself a pragmatist or a positivist, and a bad one at that, since he has given no thought to his position.
Affairs - Business - Giving - Man - Notions - Oneself - Philosophy - Pragmatism - Thinking
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William James

Philosopher, Psychologist, Educator

The pragmatist turns away from abstraction and insufficiency, from verbal solutions, from bad a priori reasons, from fixed principles, closed systems, and pretended absolutes and origins. He turns toward concreteness and adequacy, towards facts, towards action, and towards power.
Actions - Fixing - Pragmatism - Principle - Solution
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Zig Ziglar

Politician, Author, Author

I've got to confess I'm a pragmatic optimist myself.
Confession - Optimism - Pragmatism
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Alain de Botton

Philosopher, Author

These inventors were elevating the formulation of entrepreneurial ideas to the status of a visionary activity. Though forced to justify their efforts in the pragmatic language of venture capital, they were at heart utopian thinkers intent on transforming the world.
Activity - Effort - Entrepreneurship - Inventing - Linguistics - Pragmatism - Thinking - Transformation - Utopia - Venture - Vision - World
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Aldous Huxley

Writer, Philosopher

Dream in a pragmatic way.
Pragmatism
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