To miss the major things while only seeing the minor details; to overlook the entire situation due to focusing on small aspects

Etymology:

  • A person in the landscape focuses so carefully on each individual tree and its branch, leaf and twig that he/she misses the charm of the huge forest he/she is standing in. If someone asks that person about forest, he/she might answer, "What forest? I only noticed trees over there." Therefore, this saying means to be unable to see the entire scenery while paying attention on a smaller part.
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Tania can’t see the forest for the trees as she always tries to catch my mistakes yet fails to see my sincerity.

Submitted on February 25, 2019

Modified by TriplePurple on December 17, 2023

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ไม่สามารถเห็นป่าสำหรับต้นไม้

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    "can't see the forest for the trees." Phrases.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 19 Mar. 2024. <https://www.phrases.com/phrase/can't-see-the-forest-for-the-trees_44542>.

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