ProverbHuman Nature
English origin1546
English origin1546You can't see the forest for the trees
Meaning: Being too focused on small details can prevent you from seeing the overall picture.
Example: “He fixes every typo but misses the flawed argument; he can't see the forest for the trees.”
Origin: John Heywood's 1546 collection has "Ye cannot see the wood for the trees" — British English still says wood, while American English prefers forest. It describes someone so absorbed in details that they miss the larger picture.
Equivalents in Spanish, Japanese, German, and Dutch
Spanish: Los árboles no dejan ver el bosque (literally: The trees don't let you see the forest)
Japanese: 木を見て森を見ず (Ki wo mite mori wo mizu) (literally: Seeing the trees but not the forest)
German: Den Wald vor lauter Bäumen nicht sehen (literally: Not to see the forest for all the trees)
Dutch: Door de bomen het bos niet zien (literally: Not seeing the forest for the trees)
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