how you would use it?
2006-10-18 14:46:44 · 8 answers · asked by birdy 3 in Arts & Humanities ➔ Philosophy
Well, imagine yourself in the middle of a forest. You are surrounded by trees, but really, how many do you see? You have no idea about the forest's size and shape, but more importantly, you cannot see its gigantic beauty and cannot cherish it. Imagine yourself now taking a helicopter ride over the forest. You get a new appreciation for things. Of course, the author is not trying to say that you should always only look at things through the big picture, at a general perspective. It merely points out that by getting caught up in little things, we sometimes fail to see the big picture. Balance is a must.
Tamer
http://neareast.blogspot.com
2006-10-18 14:52:57 · answer #1 · answered by Ty Weezy 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
The more apt and often referred quote is slightly different , though means the same. "He mistook the tree for the forest".The example that comes to mind may be controvercial but may be apt. I do not know.
What is happening around the turbulent world , today, is terrorism. Northern Ireland ( till sometime ago) , sriLanka , middle east....... Russia.. to name a few pockets of turbulence.
Over these many years terrorism has come to be associated with a particular religion and it has settled down deep in our minds. So , anything and everything I see happening I automatically associate with that religion TOTALLY forgetting the larger issues.
This , in my view is the equivalent of * can`t see the forest through the trees"
2006-10-18 15:37:57 · answer #2 · answered by YD 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The phrase is "You can't see the forest for the trees" it means you are incapable of looking at the big picture. If for instance you are looking at a crowd of people. A person who can't see the forest just sees a bunch of people, but to a person who can see the forest, they see the human race.
2006-10-18 14:51:29 · answer #3 · answered by cabjr1961 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Its perspective. One man may see a tree,another might see the forest. Do not focus to much on the details and an expanded thought occurs.
2006-10-18 14:59:55 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
It means looking so hard for something that you miss it completely, because you were expecting something different, even though it's right in front of you.
Example: A woman goes to a church to talk to the priest but all she could see is a young man in the office. Discouraged, the woman leaves, planning to come back sometime when the priest comes back, not realizing that the young man IS the priest.
2006-10-18 14:53:54 · answer #5 · answered by thezaylady 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It means that you are getting caught up in the details, rather than stepping back and seeing the bigger picture. Like getting bogged down with semesterly exams can sometimes make people forget the bigger reason of why they are there in college, to get a degree.
2006-10-18 14:48:56 · answer #6 · answered by retorik75 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
that would be like complaining about your favorite team having no star players but are beating the crap out of everyone they play... Or finding a thousand dollars and complaining that it was all in one dollar bills... You are not looking at the big picture only its small parts that you dont like
2006-10-18 14:50:16 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
something is so obvious you don't see it.
2006-10-18 14:49:19 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋