proverb · Words worth keeping
If you chase two rabbits, you will not catch either one.
If you chase two rabbits, you will not catch either one.
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
The saying makes chasing two rabbits end in catching neither. As an analogy, divided attention can undermine an attempt to achieve incompatible aims at once.
Example
Someone selects the immediate priority when two demands compete for the same limited time.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
The two moving targets make competing pursuit concrete. A qualified application can clarify an immediate priority without declaring all concurrent work impossible. The phrase is not a hunting method or proof that a particular pair of tasks cannot be coordinated.
When to use it
Use it to examine competing aims and available capacity.
Keep in mind
Concurrent tasks are not always incompatible, and no animal-catching guidance is supplied.
An interpretation of the words, not a claim about their earliest origin.
Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- Traditional
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
- Not established
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin. - Historical period
- Date unknown