The High Cost of Pragmatic Success

 How we sacrificed ethics for results.

"Standing Out in a Sea of Conformity" – an illustration highlighting the struggle for individuality in a pragmatic world. Image created using Bing Create.

We are living in an age where pragmatism seems to have subtly dethroned postmodernism, replacing it as the ruling philosophy of our times. Postmodernism, with its critiques of grand narratives and its skepticism towards absolute truth, once dominated the intellectual landscape. 

But today, the world is no longer concerned with truth or skepticism. Instead, what works, what gets results, what delivers the goods—this is what we prioritize. Pragmatism, in all its stripped-down practicality, has become the new compass for navigating both personal and professional life.

Once, integrity, honesty, and loyalty served as the cornerstones of human conduct. Principles were not just aspirational ideals but tangible values to live by. Today, however, those virtues seem almost antiquated, relics of a world that no longer exists. 

In their place, pragmatism has emerged, a cold, calculating force that prioritizes success over ethics, expedience over principle. The question of "what is right" has been eclipsed by "what works," and that shift fundamentally alters the way we view ourselves and the world around us.

Let’s start with politics, where the shift is glaring. Time was when politicians were judged by their ethical stances. Honesty mattered, integrity was non-negotiable, and character was king. Politicians who failed to live up to these virtues risked losing the public’s trust—and along with it, their careers. Today, however, that’s a distant memory. 

It's not about ethics anymore; it's about winning. Pragmatism has taken center stage, and winning often means bending or outright breaking the rules. Take a look at the last few decades of political scandals, from the US to Europe to anywhere you choose. The outrage from the public is fleeting. Yes, people are angry, but they also move on quickly, and so does the system. Pragmatism wins, ethics loses.

Think back to the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Both major candidates, Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, faced scandals that, in another era, might have been career-ending. Yet, they still dominated the stage. Why? The answer lies in what they represented, not who they were ethically. 

Voters weren’t as concerned with their moral standing as they were with the practical outcomes they promised. Expedience took precedence over character. It wasn’t about honesty, integrity, or loyalty to the truth; it was about who could "get things done." In that moment, pragmatism overtook principle, and we have not looked back.

But politics isn't the only stage where pragmatism reigns supreme. Look at the world of business, where corporate scandals are as common as the seasons changing. Fraud, exploitation, and unethical labor practices have become so normalized that, more often than not, they elicit nothing more than a collective shrug. The financial collapse of 2008 is a classic example. 

Banks and lenders, driven by short-term profits, engaged in practices they knew were risky and unethical. Yet, they forged ahead because the rewards in the moment outweighed the consequences of the future. The result? A global financial meltdown that destroyed lives, livelihoods, and entire economies. But what about accountability? Well, in the world of pragmatism, accountability is expendable.

Even in everyday corporate decisions, pragmatism runs rampant. Businesses often prioritize immediate profits over long-term sustainability. This kind of short-term thinking has devastating effects, particularly when it comes to environmental harm. Companies will pollute, exploit, and deceive, all in the name of survival or shareholder value. 

Despite increasing concern over climate change and resource depletion, pragmatism continues to guide decision-making, and the future is sacrificed for the present. There’s a metaphor in that: pragmatism, when unchecked, is a bulldozer, leveling the moral high ground in its path.

And this mindset isn’t just confined to boardrooms and political campaigns; it seeps into the daily lives of ordinary people. Workers find themselves in a constant race for survival in an increasingly competitive job market. The pressure to succeed, to hit targets, to secure promotions, often means bending personal ethical standards. 

According to a survey by the Harvard Business Review, a significant portion of employees admitted to compromising their values to meet performance goals. This isn’t just happening in cutthroat industries—it’s happening everywhere. It’s the ethos of the times: do what you need to do to get ahead, even if it means sacrificing your integrity along the way.

Yet, despite all this, defenders of pragmatism remain. They argue that in a world as complex and fast-paced as ours, adhering too rigidly to moral principles is not only impractical but even dangerous. How, they ask, can a politician protect national security or a CEO keep their business afloat if they’re paralyzed by ethical concerns? 

Pragmatism, they claim, is about flexibility. It’s about making the tough decisions that the real world demands. And, yes, there is some truth to this. In certain situations, rigid moralizing can lead to paralysis. But at what cost? The problem with this line of thinking is that it ignores the long-term consequences of sacrificing principles for results.

Trust, for one, is a casualty. When integrity is set aside in favor of expedience, trust quickly erodes. And without trust, how can any society, business, or government function? Trust is the foundation upon which everything is built—from personal relationships to global treaties. Yet, as pragmatism ascends, trust declines. A recent Pew Research survey found that more than 70% of Americans believe trust in each other is shrinking. 

This isn’t just a feeling; it’s a measurable shift. As leaders and institutions prioritize success over ethics, they send a clear message that integrity is negotiable. And when integrity is negotiable, cynicism follows. People stop believing, stop caring, stop trusting. It’s a vicious cycle, one that leads to a breakdown in social cohesion, where individualism reigns supreme, and collective well-being becomes an afterthought.

As a result, pragmatism changes how people see themselves and their moral responsibilities. In a world where results matter more than the methods used to achieve them, ethics starts to feel like an optional extra. Moral relativism becomes the norm. Principles? Those are quaint relics from the past. 

What matters is what works, and in such an environment, personal accountability withers away. The rise of pragmatism breeds a culture where people do what they must to succeed, regardless of who gets hurt in the process.

It’s not hard to imagine where this leads. When individuals are no longer responsible for the consequences of their actions, when pragmatism dictates their choices, the fabric of society begins to unravel. We see it in the news, in our workplaces, and in our personal lives. Unethical behavior becomes normalized. Success, not integrity, becomes the only metric of worth. Winning becomes everything, and the cost? It hardly matters.

But all is not lost. There is still time to resist this shift. Society can reclaim its moral compass, but it won’t happen passively. It will take deliberate action. People in leadership positions—whether in politics, business, or community—must make the conscious decision to prioritize principle over pragmatism. 

Integrity, though inconvenient at times, must be seen as non-negotiable. Trust can be rebuilt, but only if individuals and institutions commit to doing what’s right, even when it’s difficult. We can restore a world where ethics guide actions, where doing the right thing is more important than simply getting things done.

In essence, the rise of pragmatism over principle represents a profound cultural shift. We’ve moved away from integrity, honesty, and ethical living, and we’ve embraced a world where power and success are valued more than truth and trust. 

The effects are undeniable: trust is eroding, moral responsibility is fading, and our social fabric is fraying. But there is hope. We can choose to prioritize principles once more. We can hold ourselves, and those who lead us, accountable. And in doing so, we can begin to rebuild the trust and integrity that are essential to a functioning, fair, and ethical society.