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Those who chase two hares won’t even catch one
So why do we keep trying?
Japanese Proverb
二兎を追う者は一兎をも得ず
nito wo oumono wa otto wo mo ezu
English interpretation: Those who chase two hares won’t even catch one.
Have you seen the NBC series Parks & Recreation? I love this show. The banter and the comedy are right up my alley. There’s an episode (one of my favorites) where Ron Swanson advises Lesley Knope.
Lesley is considering running in a public office election and is also trying to balance working full-time as the Deputy Director of the Parks & Rec office. She is showing signs of being tired and is starting to miss deadlines, which is very uncharacteristic. In recalling his experience working both in a tannery and a sheet metal factory at the age of 11, Ron concluded: “Never half-ass two things. Whole-ass one thing.” Great life advice from a brilliant life philosopher, Swanson-sensei.
When I look at the proverb “Those who chase two hares won’t even catch one,” I think it shares this meaning. When your focus is divided, you’ll fail to succeed at either. But isn’t that what we do when we think we can be the first to master multitasking?
