The phrase “pick your battles” advises individuals to focus on one important issue at a time, rather than trying to tackle too many things at once. This military strategy suggests that when troops are limited, they are often unsuccessful. It is important to choose which battles to fight wisely, seek advice from a neutral party, and enlist support forces to help hold the line.
People use the term “pick your battles” to suggest that people would do well to select a specific issue of importance to focus on, rather than trying to tackle too many things at once. Individuals may also hear this saying rendered as “pick your battles” and many people add “wisely” when offering this advice. As a general rule, it is extremely sound advice, whether it is for an individual struggling with personal problems or for the leader of a country.
This phrase references a well-known aspect of military strategy, suggesting that when troops are limited, they are often unsuccessful. For example, when a country tries to fight a war on two fronts, it often struggles to secure both, and it is sometimes more advisable to tackle one problem before moving on to the next to ensure success. The more fronts an army faces, the more difficult it is to manage strategic and day-to-day operations on all these fronts, and sometimes a front has to be abandoned because there are not enough personnel to protect it, which is generally undesirable.
In a classic case where someone might be told to “pick your battles,” a parent might have a hard time dealing with an unruly child. Rather than trying to address every aspect of the child’s problem behavior, the parent might choose one serious problem to focus on first, such as a tendency to stay out late. Once this problem has been addressed, the parent may move on to other problems. While this approach may take longer than trying to handle everything in one go, there is a higher likelihood of success, as the parent can spend time processing each issue carefully and accurately to ensure it is addressed.
Sometimes, it can be difficult to choose which battles to fight. Many people are faced with situations where multiple issues seem equally important at some point in their lives, and they may find it difficult to pinpoint one to focus on. Sometimes, it’s helpful to seek advice from a neutral party, to get an opinion from someone with an outside perspective. Especially when someone is passionate about multiple problems, it can be important to remember that if you don’t choose the battles to fight wisely, you could end up failing them all and ending up worse than you started.
Some people find that if they pick their battles well, they can neutralize problems along the way as they tackle the most important issues first. It may also help to enlist, as it were, support forces to help hold the line. In the parent example above, for example, asking a teacher, minister, or family friend for help is entirely appropriate.
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