How Arrow Shows the Benefits of Pragmatism
The moral case for focusing on things that actually work rather than the abstract.
We all like things which actually work.
A car that doesn't start is just a hunk of metal taking up space. Scissors which break the second you try to use them aren't worth anything. Boxes with holes in them don't hold anything and have no value. People have an inherent focus on things that do what they're supposed to and tend to find things which don't kinda ridiculous. If you really think about it, this makes rather obvious sense. Even though we often don't believe we do. When we do this, we actually end up getting things done. Of going from a place we are to a place we want to be. If it didn't, they wouldn't be worth doing in the first place. Getting to an end goal is a desire we all have. It's really only a question of how we get there. This is even true when it comes to people.
Those who don't do as much as others are seen by many as less than, regardless of whether or not this is exactly the case. People's inherent value isn't necessarily in what they can and can't do to achieve their goal. But there's an obvious functionality to prioritizing things that work and the people who either create these things or know how to use them in a beneficial way. Those who do can provide for others and as a result are elevated to a higher status. They're often revered for their ability to get things done. Whether it's building a place to live, fixing a broken car or being elected to an office in which you can use that practicality to provide for those who haven't been able to achieve what they wanted to.
This practicality is important for things like law enforcement as well. In order for a system to function, you have to be able to deal with a situation in the moment. No matter how hard it might be and the danger it would ultimately put someone in. Only then can things move in a beneficial direction for everyone, regardless of their level of functionality. It's a more real world approach to doing things rather than a more abstract theoretical way of thinking which might end up not working in reality.
Arrow is fundamentally about what it takes to make a practical difference in the world. Oliver Queen, as played brilliantly by Stephen Amell, isn't necessarily interested in things which don't work. He doesn't focus on the high minded ideals of people who want to live in a better world. Oliver is only interested in what actually works. Like getting criminals off the streets so that people don't feel afraid to go out at night. He's also interested in dismantling the structures which allow for criminals to make people afraid to go out at night. Namely the people with lots of money who take resources away from the police as a way to get criminals off the streets.
By making people afraid of The Hood, Arrow and ultimately Green Arrow, he pushes people into actually getting things done rather than simply letting things fester. Allowing the system to continue to break down is self defeating. In doing so, the world begins to improve and people who want to have higher ideals can come in and make things work better.
Explore the benefits of a pragmatic way of thinking by checking out Arrow as soon as you can.
Check it out on Netflix in the United States as well as Amazon.