A type of mindset that can make the world a much easier place: PRAGMATIC!

pragmatic |pragˈmatik|

-adjective
dealing with things sensibly and realistically in a way that is based on practical rather than theoretical considerations : a pragmatic approach to politics.

I was watching Daria, and Helen (Daria’s mother) used the word pragmatic, which got me thinking about a few things in my life. More often than not, the antonym of pragmatic is [ideal], which loosely means one’s own idea of the perfect situation, but I’m thinking a bit differently right now:

Is it better to look at life and live pragmatically (as in, be the best you can in your situation) or live strictly according to specific rules (regardless of how concrete of a foundation those rules are built on)? 

From a spiritual standpoint, life can be very confusing, especially when religious convictions come into play. There are thousands, even millions, of different perspectives on what life as a Christian truly means and the right way to live it, but how can any of us feel truly certain that we’re doing it right? The bible comes with so many rules, both big and small, and it’s hard keeping up with them all. Some argue that each of these rules should be obeyed without deviation, while others believe that we just have to have faith and be the best we can be. One of them has to be wrong, right? Whichever one is wrong either misses out on enjoying certain elements of this life or the life that waits after. It’s a big risk. 

I’d like to think that the latter perspective above, based in pragmatism, is the right one, but the fact that it might not be is discomforting. Hmm… Time will tell. In the meantime, choices have to be made.